You met the love of your life, and after a blissful night together, you wake up the next morning at her side. You roll over with a big smile on your face, open your mouth to say “good morning” to the apple of your eye- and immediately blast her with breath so bad it smells like you just did a 12 hour shift at a Diddy party eating rump steak. Why is it that your breath gets so bad overnight- and what kind of morning breath is a sign your life might be in danger?
It doesn't matter how good you brush or floss, or if you did both right before going to bed- morning breath is inevitable. Having good oral hygiene can help mitigate bad morning breath, but the truth is that everybody tends to wake up with a mouth that reeks like you just got back home after a weekend being a Dubai port-a-potty. Hey, at least you got cool instagram pics for the clout.
One of the biggest culprits of morning breath is food particles left over in your mouth. Overnight, the bacteria in your mouth will break down these delicious morsels you were saving for later, causing a release of volatile sulfur compounds- or VSCs. New studies show that VSCs don't just smell bad, they actually might be directly attacking living tissue, which helps propagate gum disease- another vector for bad breath.
If you enjoy a midnight cigarette before bed, you're also helping fuel your morning bad breath. Everyone knows that smokers have bad breath already, but it becomes an altogether different aroma when the tar and other particles from a cigarette are allowed to fester overnight. The worst part is that if you're a smoker, then you might not even realize how atrocious your bad breath is because smoking dulls your sense of smell.
Two major culprits however are bad oral hygiene and dry mouth. One is self-explanatory, the other not so much. If you're a frequent participant in Magic The Gathering or Warhammer 40k public play events, then you're probably familiar- and maybe even an enjoyer- of bad hygiene.
Your awful breath isn't just an excuse to roleplay as a worshiper of Nurgle though, it's a direct indication of how poor your oral hygiene is. This one doesn't require much explaining- if you don't brush your teeth, your breath is going to stink like Satan's taint. Dr mouth though can be a surprising vector for really bad breath, and some types of bad breath can mean your life is at risk.
Saliva doesn't just lubricate the mouth for your next P Diddy party, it also helps to clear up all the bacteria that normally set up shop inside of it. When you don't produce enough saliva, all that bacteria remains concentrated in your mouth, where they begin to chow down on any bits of food that they find. The bacteria-poop that they produce directly fuels your terrible morning breath- that's right, every night there's millions of bacteria making your mouth their personal Dubai port-a-potty, and you're not even getting paid a dime for it.
Sometimes though underlying medical conditions can be a cause of bad morning breath, and should be a big red alarm sign that something isn't right. Diabetes and various infections can result in bad morning breath- as well as fungal infections of the mouth, lips or tongue. Liver or kidney disease can even cause bad breath.
This happens when your organs can't properly filter toxic substances out of your blood, causing them to build up to the point that they are released in your breath, sweat, and pee. Now go find out what would happen if you stopped blinking, minute by minute- or click this other video instead!
