If anyone has ever told you your breath stinks, you’ll probably spend the rest of your life being self conscious about it. They may have had good intentions, but it’s hard to get rid of that thought.
“What if my breath really does stink?”
You’re not alone though – over 50% of adults struggle with bad breath, but a buildup of bacteria isn’t the only cause.
Here’s some surprising causes for your halitosis, and what you can do about it.
Tell your partner they’re welcome.
Bad breath cause #1: Not drinking enough water
Drinking water flushes out bacteria and food particles in the mouth, which can contribute to bad breath. This also prevents tooth decay as you reduce the buildup of bacteria.
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t have the habit of drinking water regularly, you may want to fill up a 1.5 litre bottle and put it on your desk to remind yourself to drink enough water.
Bad breath cause #2: Skipping breakfast makes your mouth dry
If you regularly skip breakfast because you’re normally running out the door with minutes to spare, this may be the reason for any bad breath you are experiencing.
In the morning, your saliva glands are normally not as active, so your mouth is dry.
If you skip meals you produce less saliva and end up with a dry mouth. A dry mouth creates the perfect environmental conditions for bacteria to flourish, which in turn can generate odour from the breath.
Having your breakfast ensures you stimulate the salivary glands, which keeps your mouth moist.
Bad breath cause #3: Drinking alcohol dries out your mouth
Drinking alcohol is a sure fire way to give yourself dry mouth. Think back to your last trip to the club, and you’ll probably realise we’re right.
Since saliva acts as the body’s natural defence against harmful oral bacteria that negatively impacts your oral health, it usually results in bad breaath.
In a 2018 study, researchers discovered that a higher concentration of “bad” bacteria linked to gum disease–a bad breath trigger– was found in saliva samples from volunteers who reported drinking alcohol.
Bad breath cause #4: Not flossing regularly
Brushing your teeth and gargling your mouth with mouthwash isn’t enough. We’re not the first to say it, and we certainly won’t be the last.
Flossing is needed to remove particles that are trapped between your teeth. Imagine washing your hair, but not getting to your roots. It’s the same thing!
Brushing often isn’t enough to get in between your teeth and remove the leftovers of every meal you’ve had that day, so make sure to get to flossing!
Bad breath cause #5: Eating sugary mints feeds bacteria
While many people take mints to mask their breath after eating something particularly foul-smelling, many mints also contain sugar that can feed the bacteria in your mouth.
Bacteria can turn the sugar in mints into acid, which doesn’t make for toothpaste commercial worthy breath.
If you’ve got a date and chose to have garlic bread with your pasta lunch, we’d recommend going for the sugar-free option.
Bad breath cause #6: Using old toothbrushes breeds bacteria
Old toothbrushes have worn and splintered bristles that are less effective at removing bacteria and plaque from your teeth that can cause bad breath.
They are also ideal breeding grounds for bacteria – especially in that annoying layer of residual toothpaste and food particles at the bristles’ roots that won’t rinse off. Sounds yummy, no?
So if the bristles of the toothbrush look sad and worn out, it’s definitely time to change your toothbrush so that you can continue to remove bacteria instead of depositing more on your teeth.
The best way is to change your toothbrush heads regularly (every 3-4 months is best).
Some electric toothbrushes even come with brush refill subscriptions delivered directly to your door so you never have to wonder if it’s time to change to a new brush head.
Is Your Old Toothbrush Breeding Bacteria?
Remember to change your ZenyumSonic™ brush heads regularly.
