Chronic Bad Breath? Check Your Digestive System And Diet
If your morning breath is less than stellar no matter how much you brush and floss your teeth, check your diet and digestive system. Sometimes, bad breath develops because of what you eat and drink every day, even if you practice great oral hygiene. Some types of food and beverages contain ingredients or additives that change the flora or healthy bacteria inside your stomach, liver and intestines. These problems clog up your digestive system overnight and produce foul odors that travel up to your throat and mouth in the morning. Here are two digestive problems that affect your oral health and the solutions for them.
Gallstones and Stomach Acids
The liver is the part of your digestive system that processes and removes contaminants from your blood. It relies on a tiny organ called the gallbladder to make bile to break down fat, sugars and other byproducts of the digestive system. But when your liver clogs up with too many byproducts, the gallbladder can't release enough bile to get rid of them and develops hard substances called gallstones.
Gallstones release toxins inside your blood that bypass your liver and travel to your large and small intestines instead. The toxins eventually backtrack to your stomach and mix with its acids. If the acids become too great, they push up toward your throat and mouth in a process called heartburn. You develop a harsh sulfuric scent that causes morning breath.
In many cases, you can control the sulfur scent in your mouth by brushing your teeth and tongue, or by seeing your dentist for a thoroughly mouth cleaning. But if you don't change your eating habits, simply cleaning your mouth and seeing your dentist won't be enough to stop your morning breath.
You can remove the toxins from your liver and gallbladder and keep them healthy by limiting how much fatty and sugary foods you consume during the day. Also, avoid processed food items, such as hot dogs and luncheon meat. Processed foods contain unnatural additives and chemicals, such hydrogenated fats, that help them last longer or stay fresher after food manufacturers make them.
Instead, eat more cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, which protects your digestive system from bad bacteria and promotes healthy bile production in your gallbladder and liver. Also, consume watery fruits to keep your body hydrated. Water also controls the acids in your stomach.
If you still have concerns about your bad morning breath, speak to your dentist right away.
Constipation
Constipation is another digestive problem that can affect your breath. Constipation develops when your large intestine produces hard, dry bowel movements. The problem is usually caused by not getting enough water and fiber in your diet. The bacteria inside your intestinal tract grow out of control and travel to your stomach, which creates a foul scent that permeates your throat and mouth.
In addition to bad breath, the bacteria rising from your constipated intestines and stomach can trigger dry mouth. Dry mouth changes the natural flora inside your oral cavity. You may develop mouth sores or ulcers that burn whenever you drink orange juice and other acidic beverages.
Taking care of your constipation now is one of the best ways to protect your oral health. All you need to do is eat more fiber and drink more liquids. Here's a great recipe made with pecans, fresh fruit and dates you can try for lunch or as a snack to help you get the nutrition you need:
- Slice two green or red apples into quarter-sized pieces, then place the fruit into a large bowl
- Dice one pear of any kind up into bite-sized chunks, then add them to the bowl
- Place 1 cup of dates and pecans to your bowl, then toss the contents together
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon of organic honey over your ingredients
You can top the fruit and nut salad with low-fat plain or naturally-flavored yogurt if you prefer. The water inside the apples and pears hydrates your digestive system, and the dates and nuts provide healthy fiber for your intestines to absorb.
If none of the things above help you, contact your dentist, like one at Dental Associates PC, about your morning breath and additional treatment.
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