Hehehe.....When it comes to personal hygiene, apart
from body odour, there are a few other things that can be as repulsive
as having a bad breath, or simply put, mouth odour. Even the sound of it
is distasteful, and not only does the smell nauseates, it goes ahead to
present such a person in bad light, giving a vivid impression of a
dirty human being. It could sometimes make the individual a lone ranger
as people try to avoid such persons.
But
as disgusting as bad breath is, it is amazing to find that most people
experience it every time they wake up; mostly in the morning. It is also
known as halitosis. In fact, it could be as repulsive to the owner of
the mouth, not to even talk of others. Noteworthy is the fact that this
case is independent of the chronic mouth odour, the product of which
could make the listener (victim) puke.
Therefore, it is not uncommon to find
that when people wake up in the morning, they tend to avoid close
contact discussion, or better still maintain some distance or even cover
their mouth while talking to others. The simplest cure would be to have
a toothbrush. It could cure it all, only if done properly.
An expert in dental matters and
periodontist, Sally Cram, said, “Everyone has morning breath to some
degree. Here is the simple reason why: When you sleep, your mouth dries
out and your normal flow of saliva decreases. When your mouth dries out,
odour-producing bacteria multiply. That is why your breath can be worse
in the morning.”
However, for those who do not have mouth
odour but wake up to find that they have bad breath, studies have shown
that the trend is basically traceable to the fact that when a person is
asleep, the mouth also goes into rest mode, leading to a drop in the
rate of metabolic activities. And this form of bad breath is not limited
to aftermath of waking up, it also happens when people close their
mouth for too long without opening it.
Scientists also explained that saliva,
which helps to flush out bacteria from the mouth and restrains some
microorganisms, is less secreted while asleep, making it possible for
bacteria to roam about in the mouth. According to a post on thenakedscientists.com,
the scientists explained that due to the dryness of the mouth at night
occasioned by the reduced metabolism rate, microorganism compounds,
especially a bacterium causing disease or fermentation, like lysozyme,
tend to flourish more.
The report noted that the mouth may
contain about 100 different species of bacteria, part of which can
process some sulphuric compounds into chemicals like hydrogen sulphide,
hence, the smell of such a compound tends to ooze out of the person’s
mouth.
A cosmetic dentist, Dr. Hugh Flax, once
told Medical Daily that there is a strong link between bad breath and
the absence of saliva, which is a watery liquid secreted into the mouth
by glands, providing lubrication for chewing and swallowing, and aiding
digestion.
He added, “During the day, your mouth
produces a significant amount of saliva, but while you sleep, saliva
production goes down and it is critical for sweeping away the food
particles that would otherwise stay within the teeth. When those items
are stuck there, bacteria feast on them and turn them to compounds that
could make the mouth smell.
“Anytime you reduce saliva in the mouth, you reduce the mouth’s ability to fight the bacteria that cause the bad breath.”
Given that poor oral hygiene and some
food items, such as beef, locust and vegetable, are more likely to leave
some bad taste in the mouth, studies reviewed by Medical Daily, have
shown that these bacteria tend to grow more when there are particles
left in the jaws of the mouth.
Apart from these, a report published on medicaldaily.com
showed that sleeping with the mouth open could also lead to bad breath
because the inflow of air would make the mouth to dry, thereby giving
room for such bad breath-inducing bacteria to thrive.
There are also indications that smokers are likely to have bad breath, because according to a study posted on everydayhealth.com
smoking increases the temperature of the mouth, which creates a
thriving atmosphere for the kind of bacteria that cause bad breath.
Beyond smoking, it has also been found that taking certain drugs or being on medication can also cause bad breath.
Having established the various ways by
which people develop bad breath in the morning, it is however worthy of
note that there are simple and possible ways to avoid the seemingly
unavoidable bad breath in the morning.
Tongue has been found to be a major
source of bad breath, especially the back of the tongue, such that
anyone who takes time to brush the tongue very well would be assured of a
fresh and pleasant breath in the morning.
“Eighty-five per cent of bad breath comes
from the tongue. It really helps tremendously to use a tongue cleanser
before you go to sleep, or anytime during the day,” says New York
dentist, Irwin Smigel.
Apart from maintaining a good dental
hygiene, one of the most advocated solutions to bad breath in the
morning is brushing one’s teeth before going to bed at night. By so
doing, it was found that there would be less food items hanging in
between the teeth and on the tongue.
It was also pointed out that anyone who
chooses to brush at night before going to bed must not eat any other
thing afterwards. “After you brush, go directly to bed. Don’t eat or
drink anything so you’re not leaving food in your mouth,” Cram said.
Also on dental hygiene, people are
advised to spend more time scrubbing their teeth rather than doing some
brief job, and that beyond brushing, flossing with the aid of dental
floss, which is a material used to clean between the teeth could be of
help.
The use of mouthwash might also help,
even if temporarily, as it helps to kill the germs that could cause bad
breath. “A quick swish won’t do it. If the directions say rinse for 30
seconds, then rinse for 30 seconds. The mouth rinse has to be in there
long enough to kill the bacteria. Rinse for five to ten seconds, you’re
not getting the full effect. The trick is you have to follow
directions,” Harms advises.
To a large extent, for overall good
health, having a pleasant breath may not be negotiable, as it has been
found that the bacteria that cause bad breath may possibly have some
health implications, including cardiovascular disease, oral cancer and
Alzheimer’s, which is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur
in middle or old age, due to generalised degeneration of the brain, and
it is the commonest cause of premature senility. “When the toxins from
oral bacterial are released into your blood stream, it can possibly
inflict mayhem on other parts of the body,” Flax said.
Commenting on the study, a medical
practitioner, Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, said apart from the medical condition
that makes people have mouth odour, food particles in the mouth and the
cessation of saliva during sleep are other reasons why people have bad
breath.
He said, “Saliva is a cleansing agent
that cleanses the bacteria from the mouth, but in the night or while
sleeping, its operation is reduced. Also, the bacteria in the mouth
would act on the food particles that are left in the mouth and the waste
product of that process gives an offensive odour. That is why dentists
advise that we brush our teeth in the morning and before going to bed,
so that any food particle that is left over will be removed.
“Bad breath is a major problem in the
society, but it is avoidable. However, there are people who have medical
condition, such as tonsillitis, which is the swelling up of the tonsils
as a result of bacteria infection, sinusitis and adenoid enlargement.”
Adesanya advised that even if people are
too tired or reluctant to brush their teeth before going to bed, rinsing
the mouth with water before sleeping could help. He added that there
are some food that people eat before going to bed that could also give
them bad breath, such as garlic, legumes and groundnut. “When they are
broken down, there is a gas that is normally released, which is
offensive and gives bad breath,” he added.
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