Bad breath! We've all been there and it's not somewhere any of us ever want to be! Morning time, onions, garlic, and even the popular Keto diet are all common culprits of stinky breath, but sometimes there is more to it! Let us explore...
- Morning Breath: Hours of sleep may be fantastic for your health, but all of that time without eating, drinking, and brushing can leave your mouth dry, stagnant, and sometimes pungent!
- Offensive foods! Garlic, onion, and coffee all contain compounds that can leave your breath kickin'!
- Illnesses and infections such as gum disease, active dental decay, sinus infections and GERD can all lead to bad breath. An interestingly odd tidbit: Each one of those has a distinctly different odor and that can often be distinguished by dental professionals...#weirdjobexperinceskills
- High fat and protein/low carb diets can lead to a condition called ketosis. While in the state of ketosis, your body is breaking down fat (rather than carbohydrates) for energy. Excess ketones are released as you breathe, which leads to a type of halitosis known as "keto breath".
- Tobacco products, for obvious reasons cause bad breath. Bad breath is the least of the concerns that come along with tobacco products and can be avoiding by not using them.
What to do about the dreaded halitosis:
- Thoroughly clean your teeth, gums AND tongue throughout the day and before bed. Brushing and flossing your teeth removes bacteria and food particles from the day. If you leave your tongue out of your brushing routine, you are missing up to half of that bacteria that can lead to bad breath! Brushing your tongue with your toothbrush works well! You can also use a tongue scraper. When bacteria and food particles are left undisturbed, the bacteria breakdown the food and release gas in the process...stinky!
- Hydrate! Saliva has many functions! Saliva is made up of mostly water. When you are properly hydrated, it keeps your oral tissues healthy and happy. The more hydrated you are, the easier it is for your body to keep your mouth moisturized.
- Use a dry mouth product! Biotene makes a great mouth gel along with several other products that can coat your mouth and keep it hydrated through the day/night.
- Stay on top of your professional dental care! Don't skip appointments with your dental hygienist or dentist. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- Not much can be done to prevent keto breath while on a low carb diet. Gum, mints, and mouthwashes can help treat the odor and make it less noticeable!
- Chew sugar free gum, preferably one sweetened with xylitol! Keep your saliva flowing and help combat those sneaky sugar bugs with the power of xylitol!
If you have tried all of these suggestions and you are still experiencing bad breath, don't just settle for dragon breath! Speak to your dental hygienist or dentist. There may be something for your particular situation.