Can a Glass of Water Cure Your Morning Breath?

Learn the best strategies for controlling bad breath in the morning and all day long.

Morning breath affects everyone. It’s a simple fact that, no matter how well you clean your teeth before you go to bed, some oral bacteria will remain. These bacteria will get busy overnight, releasing gases that contribute to that not-so-fresh feeling in your mouth and musty odor on your breath when you wake up.

Now, new research suggests that there might be an incredibly simple way to fight morning breath: drink a glass of water when you wake up.

The research, which will be published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene, shows that up to 60 percent of the substances in the mouth that contribute to morning breath can be removed by drinking a glass of water or rinsing the mouth thoroughly.

There Are Better Ways to Fight Bad Breath

While the glass of water trick can be a lifesaver for times when you want to minimize bad breath without actually getting up and brushing your teeth, it is important to understand that this new research by no means suggests that drinking water is the best or the only solution to your bad breath issues.

Proper oral hygiene continues to be the best way to control bad breath. Here are some important tips:

Brush twice daily: Brushing your teeth is one of the most effective ways to control populations of oral bacteria. It not only removes the food debris that the bacteria would feed on, but also helps remove the sticky layer of plaque that binds bacteria to your teeth. Be sure to brush well after your last meal or snack of the evening.

Floss daily: Flossing is essential for cleaning bacteria and food debris out from the spaces in between teeth and along the gum line that brushing can’t reach.

Brush your tongue: Many of the bacteria responsible for bad breath actually live on your tongue, not your teeth. Brushing your tongue with your toothbrush or using a tongue scraper can help remove these bacteria and improve your breath.

Still Plagued By Bad Breath?

If, after improving your oral hygiene you still suffer from bad breath, this is probably a sign of a larger underlying problem. You may have untreated gum disease or tooth decay which needs to be addressed—visit your dentist to find out. If your dentist cannot find anything amiss in your mouth, you may have an underlying health problem such as an infection in your throat, nose, or lungs, or a liver or kidney problem. In this case you will want to see a doctor.