Have you ever woken up with a nasty taste in your mouth that won’t go away? It’s not just morning breath that causes it, and there are several reasons why this can happen.

Your mouth is a gateway to your body; when it tastes terrible, it can signify many underlying problems. Bad taste in the mouth can range from a bitter, metallic, or salty flavour to an unpleasant taste of food. Ignoring this problem can lead to an increase in dental and medical issues.

In this blog, we will explore seven common causes of unpleasant taste in your mouth and what you can do to alleviate the problem naturally.

Causes for the bad taste in your mouth

Poor oral hygiene

Neglecting oral hygiene can lead to bad breath and a foul taste in your mouth. Inadequate brushing can lead to the accumulation of bacteria and food particles in your teeth, resulting in a sour taste. 

Not using a tongue scraper can further worsen the situation by allowing bacteria to thrive on your tongue. Food residue left in teeth can also contribute to the issue.

Dry mouth

A lack of saliva production is a significant cause of bad taste in your mouth. Saliva contains enzymes that break down food particles; without it, bacteria can thrive, causing bad breath and an unpleasant taste. 

Additionally, certain medications can cause dry mouth, so ensuring that you drink plenty of water while taking prescription drugs is essential. Sleeping with your mouth open can also contribute to dry mouth, so try sleeping with a humidifier to increase moisture in the air.

Stress

The silent taste killer. A hormone known as cortisol is released by your body under stress. This pesky hormone can mess with your taste buds, leaving you with an unpleasant taste.  

Additionally, there may be a link between stress and gut health, which might affect taste buds.

Dietary habits

What we consume daily can significantly impact the taste in our mouths. Spicy or bitter foods can leave a residual taste, especially if they contain high levels of capsaicin or caffeine. 

Excess intake of high-sugar beverages such as soda or energy drinks can also contribute to the sour taste. Smoking or chewing tobacco can leave an unpleasant taste and odour in the mouth.

Gastrointestinal issues

As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.” Your digestive system plays a crucial role in your overall health. Gallbladder, liver, and pancreas issues like gallstones, hepatitis, or pancreatitis can also cause a bad taste in your mouth. 

Acid reflux disease is a common cause of an unpleasant taste in your mouth. When stomach acid flows back up into the oesophagus, it can cause a bitter or sour taste, and if it happens a lot, it’s called GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), which can make your mouth taste like metal.

Sinus problems

You are suffering from allergies and nasal congestion that can lead to a bad taste in your mouth. The mucus from sinus issues can also make your breath stink. 

Postnasal drip is a condition that can result from sinus infections. A tasteless discharge runs down your throat and into your mouth, leaving an unpleasant taste.

Infections and diseases 

Common cold or flu, oral thrush, and periodontal disease are three common infections and conditions that can cause a bad taste in your mouth. 

The common cold or flu can cause post nasal drip, leading to a sour taste. Oral thrush is a fungal infection that can affect the tongue and mouth, causing an unpleasant taste. On the other hand, periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that affects the gums and can cause inflammation, bleeding, and a foul taste.

Importance of getting rid of bad taste

Improve your taste: With a better sense of taste, you’ll be able to enjoy your meals and experience all the delicious flavours the world has to offer.

Lead to better oral health: When you maintain good dental health, you can say goodbye to cavities, tooth decay, and countless trips to the dentist.

Boost your confidence:  It can make you feel self-conscious and hesitant to open up, but once you get rid of it, you’ll be ready to take on the world and engage in conversations confidently.

Enhance social interactions: You can enjoy social gatherings and fully share meals with friends and family.

Tips to get rid of your bad taste in your mouth

These are the key points to help you get over your poor taste:

• To keep your mouth moist, stay hydrated by consuming lots of water.
• Brush your teeth and tongue regularly for good oral hygiene.
• Avoid foods that make your mouth taste bad.
• Try a mix of baking soda and lemon water (but don’t swallow the lemon).
• Consider oil pulling, like swishing oil around in your mouth to help with the bad taste.
• Find ways to relax and reduce stress because it can affect your taste buds.
• If you smoke or use tobacco, quitting can help improve the taste in your mouth.

By using these natural remedies, you can fight against bad taste in your mouth.

When to see a doctor

If that bad taste in your mouth is persistent, accompanied by other symptoms like pain, swelling, or a sudden desire to start speaking in tongues, or caused by medications, it’s time to consult a professional. Pay attention to it if it’s impacting your daily life. 

Conclusion

In summary, bad taste in the mouth is a common problem that affects our daily lives. Poor oral hygiene, dry mouth, dietary habits, gastrointestinal issues, sinus problems, infections, and diseases are seven of the most common causes of this problem. 

Fortunately, simple solutions to each of these causes include:

• Brushing your teeth regularly.
• Staying hydrated.
• Avoiding spicy or bitter foods.
• Seeking medical advice if needed.

In conclusion, if you are experiencing bad taste in your mouth, do not suffer in silence. Take the necessary steps to understand the cause and apply the appropriate remedy. 

Remember, a healthy mouth is a healthy you!

Bad breath, generally known as Halitosis, is a common but unpleasant and embarrassing condition that affects many people. The most common causes of halitosis are poor oral hygiene and certain foods or drinks. If you don’t brush and floss frequently, Plaque, a tiny film of bacteria, forms on your teeth. Over a period of time, Plaque causes a bad odour and tooth decay if it is not removed by dental professionals.

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The Keto diet is gaining huge popularity among people who want to get in shape because it helps people to shed their weight in time when compared to other popular diets. This diet plan focuses on losing weight by burning fat for energy instead of burning carbohydrates and sugars. Hence the ketogenic dieters have to reduce or even cut carbs from their menu.

Typically, the keto diet contains 75% fat, 20% protein, and carbohydrates just 5%. Several studies show that the low-carb diet has some therapeutic benefits for our bodies. In the meantime, it has some adverse effects also. Your dental health is not an exception. In this article, we have highlighted the positive and negative impacts of keto on oral health.

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Chronic bad breath is a sign of poor oral hygiene and dental diseases. Meanwhile, it can be a red flag indicating the serious illnesses progressing inside your body.

About 90% of bad breath (clinically called Halitosis) associated with oral problems and it typically smells like rotten eggs. The remaining proportion has been linked to certain amiss in your body.  The type of smell emitting in your bad breath helps to detect the dilemma in your body.

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Summer is nearing fast, and it will start in a new period of berries, vegetables, and different foods. Have you thought the summer foods are great for your oral health while you are on the beach, on the road, or at a picnic? 

Below are a few summer foods that are healthy for your teeth.

FRUITS

Lots of new summer fruits will soon consume the grocery store’s section of food. Here are a few good ones that will improve your oral health. Please remember that the mentioned fruits are acidic, and may break down your teeth’s enamel. Wash it with a glass of water while eating on such fruits or consume them with minimal-acid foods, such as a handful of almonds.

Apples

Although most apples are picked in fall, some varieties are grown in summer. 

Yellow Transparent Apples

Earligold Apples

Jersey Mac Apples

Gala Apples

Lodi Apples

Consuming an apple increases saliva production, which acts to wash away bacteria and food particles. Apples have a high content of water, which helps to dissolve the sugar they incorporate. It’s harder texture enhances your gums as well.

Strawberries

Strawberries, high in vitamin C, help minimize inflammation and produce collagen, a protein that aids combat periodontal disease. Strawberries, high in vitamin C, help minimize inflammation and produce collagen, a protein that aids combat periodontal disease.  This fruit contains even calcium, which encourages healthy bones and teeth.

Peaches

This traditional summer fruit holds fluoride, which is an essential dental-health mineral. Fluoride enables the remineralization and reconstruction of enamel while improving your existing enamel. In the end, this helps avoid the development of cavities. Peaches too are filled with vitamin C, which helps to reduce inflammation. They already constitute calcium, which fortifies teeth and bones. Before consuming a peach, please ensure you eliminate the pit, since chewing on a pit will harm your teeth.

LEAFY GREENS

Butter lettuce is a famous leafy green in the summertime. This kind of lettuce comprises vitamin A which produces enamel of the teeth. It too has tiny quantities of calcium, which reinforces your teeth and bones.

CHEESE

There are also seasonal cheeses, like vegetables and fruits. Goats and sheep give milk only in summer and spring, presenting these cheeses the freshest options in season:

Feta Cheese

Goat Cheese

Ricotta

Mozzarella

In cheese, the calcium and protein help to reinforce the teeth and bones. Chewing cheese’s action is often believed to promote the production of saliva, cleaning the bacteria and food particles in your mouth.

FISH & MEATS

Igniting up the grill is a perfect summer activity, but for your oral health, it’s also a smart step. Meats are protein-rich and comprise phosphorus. This assist fortifies the jaw and teeth. To enhance the health advantages of the summer cookout, select lean meats, such as turkey and chicken. Fatty fish comprise Omega-3 fatty acids which were observed to reduce the hazard of developing gum disease in studies.

Eggs/Beans

Another origin of phosphorus is eggs, so go forward and add heavy-boiled or stuffed eggs to your upcoming cookout as a side dish. Make stuffed eggs instead of mayonnaise with Greek yogurt and low-fat cream cheese. Beans are yet another high-fiber food, such as raw vegetables, which takes a lot of chewing, which also enhances saliva.

Many different types of snacks and foods encourage dental health. Eliminate eating sticky foods that are challenging to brush your teeth and don’t binge on sugary snacks all day long.

Morning breath is the most adverse side effect of our sleep. The biggest reason for this problem is a decrease in saliva production while you sleep. Less production of saliva creates a situation for multiplying more bacteria in your mouth.

When you open your mouth or snore while sleeping, it easily becomes drier. Dry mouth struggles to fight against smelly bacteria. Sleeping in a back position enables more snoring, that is why it is recommended to sleep in the correct position to fight against morning breath.

There are so many reasons like this for the occurrence of morning breath, but the major reasons are poor oral hygiene and dry mouth.

Dry mouth

If a person who suffers from bad breath still after maintaining good oral hygiene, then the main reason for that is dry mouth. The secretion of saliva is the main reason for the reduction of bacteria in our mouth. As said above, if we sleep, saliva production will be less, which causes bad breath. Some of the medicines also cause dry mouth, which makes morning breath worse.

Poor dental hygiene

Our mouth is the best place for bacteria to breed. If you are not flossing or brushing properly, food particles get easily stuck in between the teeth, or in tongue surface, or along the gum tissue.

Due to the breakdown of these food particles, bad breath is released in the morning time.

 If you have any periodontal problem, remember, morning breath is a sign of that. Poor oral hygiene is a reason for that which should need dental treatment.

Foods that you eat

Do you know certain food that you eat in the evening can cause bad breath in the morning? Yes, Even if you brush well, foods that are strong in smelling such as raw onions or garlic can results in bad breath on the next day.

GERD

People who have GERD (Gastrointestinal reflux) or acid reflux always experience bad breath. It occurs when the acid in their stomach returns back through the oesophagus while they sleep at night.

Smoking

The use of tobacco and smoking habit is one of the major causes of both general bad breath and morning bad breath. Smoking causes dryness in your mouth and creates more risk of getting gum disease. You already know, smoking is injurious to overall health. Keep it in mind and reduce or stop the habit.

Neglecting dental check-ups

While brushing and flossing regularly keeps your oral hygiene in a great way, additionally, it is recommended to visit a dentist twice a year to examine your mouth. Proper oral cleaning keeps your oral hygiene in a better way.

Quick tips to overcome these problems

Brush and floss regularly

Rinse your mouth after each meal

Chew sugarless gum to produce more saliva

Eat more green leafy vegetables

Keep your body hydrated

Stop smoking

If the problem still continues even after following these quick tips, contact us or book an appointment with us.

Are you brushing your teeth regularly?

Surely most answer will be yes

Are you brushing your teeth twice a day?

Now the answer will turn into 50% Yes – 50% No

Are you flossing your teeth at least once a day regularly?

Definitely, the answer will not even touch 50% of yes.

You may think flossing takes more time and cause pain, but its benefits are great and unbelievable.

Dentists encourage adding flossing habits in their daily dental care routines. Here are some dental appliances that replace the traditional flossing method.

Soft picks

These are disposable type toothpicks made up of synthetic rubber. Their bristles are soft that gently remove dislodge the food, plaque, and massage gums. The handle is round-shaped, which helps to reach the back of your mouth as well as sides.

This is very difficult when you just use a toothbrush to clean your teeth. This appliance is great for those who undergo orthodontic treatment and easy to use with bridges and implants.

Floss picks

These P shaped plastic toothpicks that are now replacing those wooden toothpicks are also known as flosser picks. They are now popular and mostly replaced traditional flossing methods. Floss picks are very effective in removing food debris and plaque in between the teeth and very easy to use.

Their tail end is thin and acts as a toothpick, and on the other end, it is bow-shaped with thread attached. They are very easy to handle and saves a lot of time when compared to the traditional method of flossing.

Air flossers

Air flossers consist of soft tips that produce micro-droplets of liquid and air to clean teeth and gums. They are a bit larger than a normal electric toothbrush, and they travel easily too. Many people like its slim design and these modern air flossers are nowadays are very effective in removing plaques gently.

Oral irrigators

Oral irrigators are one of the best flossing supplements trending now. They look similar to air flossers and are a very effective one. They come with different types of attachable tips, and you can choose the better one that suits you. Simply water is filled in the reservoir and attached to the base.

Then the required tip is attached to the handle and pressure is set to clean the plaques in between the teeth and gums. Nowadays, like air flossers, oral irrigators are also very effective in removing plaques, and they have the tendency to remove up to 99% of plaques.

Benefits of flossing

-Flossing helps in maintaining proper oral hygiene, and it is one of the best preventive oral care.

-Protects your teeth from staining due to plaque and tartar buildup

-Eliminates bad breath

-It is more effective in maintaining oral hygiene than brushing alone.

-The key factor is, it prevents gum disease.

From the ancient periods, clove has been used as a natural remedy to treat various dental problems. People do not see whether it is raw clove or oil, but they continuously believe in the medicinal benefits of this spice plant to treat cavities, infection, toothache and other oral problems.

When you read those ingredients present in toothpaste or mouthwash, you should have noticed this clove oil, because it is the main ingredient, which shows its strength and benefits in oral health.

Those who think to treat their dental problem in an herbal and natural way, clove oil is an excellent option for enhancing your health of teeth and gums.

When you think of your childhood days, your grandmother would have told you to bite and hold clove where there is an ache in a tooth. Yes, our ancient people followed this technique to get rid of toothache. Here are some of the major benefits of clove oil for dental health

Clove oil for toothache

As said above, if someone has a toothache in our home, the first remedy we suggest is to keep a clove in the area where there is a toothache. Unbelievably, it will relieve some sort of pain. Dentists recommend clove oil instead of clove to save the healthy tissues in the mouth from damage.

Therefore, whenever if pain arises, take clove oil and apply a drop in the pain area, as it will relieve the pain. However, if the pain still exists, consult the dentist as soon as possible.

Clove oil for cavity

Clove oil is still used by many people to fight cavities. This remedy is very useful and effective against cavities caused by infected teeth or bacteria. Due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, they can treat various oral care problems.

To eliminate cavities apply a few drops of oil in the affected area before going to sleep. For amazing results, try this for a week every night. Use a cotton ball to dip the oil instead of using fingers.

Clove oil for mouth ulcers

Mouth ulcers are one of the common problems that should be treated as soon as possible to avoid any severe pain in the future. Here too the benefit of clove oil plays a major role in curing this problem.

This is simple, take a few drops of clove oil and mix it with warm water. Now put this mixture in your mouth and gargle thoroughly.

Due to the anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of clove oil, it kills germs in the mouth and brings relief.

Clove oil for bad breath

Bad breath occurs due to the accumulation of germs and bacteria in the mouth. If you feel any bad odor in your mouth, you can believe clove oil due to its anti-bacterial properties to get immediate relief.

To eliminate bad breath, take clove oil, stevia extracts, and peppermint essential oil, mix all these ingredients and store it in a spray bottle. Whenever you feel the bad breath in your mouth, simply spray this mixture in your mouth to get relief from bad breath.

Clove oil for teething babies

Whenever new teeth emerge in babies, it causes pain to them. Gums become swollen and cause discomfort to them. This problem often disturbs their sleep and makes them cry. You can trust the properties of clove oil here, and it helps a lot in this condition.

If your baby is teething, take a few drops of clove oil and dilute them with water. Then apply the diluted oil in the baby’s gum. This relieves their pain and makes them sleep well.

Clove oil is one of the best natural remedies to cure any oral problems. However, you should brush and floss your teeth regularly and it is highly recommended to visit your dentist twice a year to maintain the best oral hygiene.

Bad breath or Halitosis is a common dental problem similar to periodontal issues and tooth decay. People with this disorder hate to open their mouths and speak freely because of the nasty smell in their mouth. This problem affects their daily life as nobody likes to talk with them or stand near them due to the unpleasant odor.

The food particles stuck on our mouth is breakdown with the help of bacteria. This bacteria release some compounds with a bad smell that is responsible for the bad breath.

Bad breath occurs not only due to these bacteria but also because of other health issues. However, if you suffer from bad breath, the first step you have to take is a dental examination. There are some main reasons for bad breath, they are

• Poor oral hygiene
• Some drugs and medications
• Smoking
• Dry mouth
• Other health issues

Based on these reasons bad breath can occur in different ways. They are

Diabetes breath

One diabetic patient’s human body produces less insulin. Therefore his/her body requires to burn higher fat. Such a process of burning fat delivers a chemical called “ketone” The ketone is another factor behind the mouth’s nasty odor.

Chronic kidney failure is another cause of bad breath in diabetes. It produces fishy or ammonia smell. Also called uremic fetor, the volume of urea in the saliva will be high and its breakdown to ammonia produces the smell.

Liver breath

Liver breath occurs due to liver failure that produces sweet and rotten odor in the mouth.

Drug breath

Consumption of certain drugs and medications dries your mouth by absorbing saliva. Medicine to treat diseases like asthma, obesity, and Parkinson’s disease are strong to produce poor drug breath.

Gut breath

Some stomach acids are produced if our digestive system is disturbed or obstructed. These acids are responsible for bad breath, which falls under the division of gut breath.

Menstrual breath

Women gets easily affected by gum diseases during the menstrual period. During this period the secretion of saliva in their mouth will be less. Due to this their mouth gets dried easily leading to bad breath.

Lung breath

Lung infections are the reason for lung breath. Some of the main lung infections included here are Bronchitis, emphysema, pulmonary abscess, pneumonia, and TB. It is the primary symptom of lung cancer. Other problems like cystic fibrosis and Asthma also produce bad breath.

Tonsil breath

Two tiny pads of glandular tissues located at the edge of our throat are called tonsils. If some food particles get stuck between them, it becomes harder and develops into tonsil stones. These tonsil stones are also a reason for bad smell in the mouth.

Metabolic breath

Consuming foods that have low carbohydrates and fewer nutrients is also one of the reasons for bad breath. In fast foods, there will not be any sufficient nutrients, which makes it difficult to burn fats. To burn more fat, ketone is produced, that is a reason for bad breath.

These are some of the types of bad breath occurs due to various health issues. People who get affected due to halitosis doesn’t know whether the problem occurred due to oral issue or other health issues. However, visit a dentist to know the reason for your bad breath and prevent any disease early.

There are many factors why it is necessary to have a dental cleaning. If you don’t brush and floss your teeth regularly, there may be an entire host of potential health risks. Also, dentists and dental experts may have a keen eye for dental problems that are hidden and difficult to see. Here, I hope to explain the risks of not having regular visits to dental cleaning.

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