Fashion
11 Ways To Fight Morning Breath
Morning breath happens and it's nothing to be ashamed of, but sometimes it can be uncomfortable when you're sleeping over at your new boo's house and nervous to smooch them first thing in the morning. If this scenario sounds familiar, you'll definitely want to learn all the ways to fight morning breath, even when you forgot to brush your teeth. All of these hacks are easy, work well, and you don't even have to get out of bed for some of them!
So what causes dreaded morning breath? "Bad breath in the morning is mostly attributed to a lack of saliva," Dr. Hugh Flax, a cosmetic dentist, explained to MedicalDaily. “During the day, your mouth produces a significant amount of saliva, but while you sleep, saliva production goes down." Less saliva means a dry mouth, and bacteria isn't swept out as easily and can multiply and become smelly. Additional causes of morning breath include poor oral hygiene (i.e. skipping brushing your teeth before hopping into bed), as well as eating certain foods like onions and garlic at night time.
While morning breath is seriously not a big deal, sometimes you want to kiss your partner without jumping out of bed first. The tips below will help you feel more confidently kiss ready with no toothbrush required. Happy smooching!
1. Drink Enough Water
Since bacteria needs a dry mouth to thrive, keeping a glass of water on your nightstand ensures your mouth will stay hydrated.
Nalgene 1-Quart Water Bottle, $10, Amazon
2. Chew Sugarless Gum
Peppermint Xylitol Gum, $14.30, Amazon
Chewing xylitol gum will actually get in and fight off plaque.
3. Chew Mints
Lemon Burst Mints, $12.99, Amazon
Popping a mint is by far the easiest way to prep for a subtle smooch.
4. Use A Tongue Scraper
Tongue Scraper, $10.25, Amazon
When you're brushing your teeth night before, also give your tongue a quick rundown with a tongue scraper to remove additional food particles.
5. Floss Before Bed
Beyond standard brushing, flossing is essential to getting out food particles that will breed bad-smelling bacteria gasses overnight.
Oral-B Pro-Health Comfort Plus Floss, $6.25, Amazon
6. Swirl Mouthwash
Crest 3D Mint Mouthwash, $19.87, Amazon
Store a little mouthwash in your bed side table and swish and spit into last night's water glass for a quick and subtle way to freshen your breath before going in for a kiss.
7. Consider Cutting Coffee
Columbia's "Ask Alice" column advised cutting out "pungent" foods and drinks like coffee and garlic to help improve bad breath before bedtime. Skipping coffee sounds like possibly the hardest bad breath fighter to employ, but might be worth it!
8. Nibble Vitamin-C Rich Fruits
Vitamin C-rich fruits are great at fighting gingivitis and bad breath, so consider a romantic "breakfast in bed" moment before your first smooch with a few clementines or plums!
9. Chew Fresh Mint
An herb garden is not only a lovely addition to your bedroom, but chewing a leaf of fresh mint in the morning will boost your breath asap.
10. Chomp An Apple
Fiber-rich foods like apples will get saliva flowing and flush out bad breath bacteria. Plus, your first morning kiss will taste extra sweet!
11. Don't Skip Teeth Cleanings
A longterm solution, definitely don't miss going to your dental hygienist for twice-yearly deep cleanings!
Want more beauty tips? Check out the video below, and be sure to subscribe to Bustle’s YouTube page for more hacks and tricks!
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