How to Overcome Bad Breath During Fasting, Brushing Your Teeth Is Not Enough! | Good Doctor

How to deal with bad breath during fasting is a topic that always comes up every Ramadan comes. Yes, this problem always befalls those who fast.

Even though it is often taken for granted, bad breath affects our self-confidence. Especially when it comes to meeting other people. You must have felt it too, right?

Causes of bad breath while fasting

Actually bad breath that appears during fasting can be caused by several factors. Let’s look at the following explanation.

1. Dry mouth

In the medical world dry mouth is called xerostomia. Condition in which there is not enough saliva in our mouths. Saliva production decreases dramatically when we fast.

This is due to a lack of fluid and food intake. Now, Dry mouth is the main cause of bad breath experienced by fasting people. Why is saliva so important?

Reported from web MD, Saliva plays a role in neutralizing the acid produced by plaque, and clean dead cells on the tongue, gums, and the inside of the cheeks.

If these dead cells are not cleaned, a buildup will occur and cause bad breath. Saliva also plays a role in killing bacteria in the mouth.

2. Lack of oral hygiene

Bad habits such as rarely brushing your teeth and not using dental floss regularly, also plays a major role in the emergence of bad breath.

When you eat, the food you chew in your mouth gets tucked between your teeth. If not cleaned thoroughly, leftover food will cause plaque to form on the teeth.

Besides being able to irritate the gums, plaque and food scraps, this can also make bacteria more comfortable living in your mouth.

Not only teeth and gums, tongue hygiene must also be considered. Because, the tongue can also be a place for the development of bacteria that cause bad breath.

3. Eat foods that cause bad breath

What you eat can also be a contributing factor to the appearance of bad breath. Consuming foods with strong odors such as onions and chilies can cause bad breath.

Use mouthwash it will only remove the odor temporarily. Bad breath due to this food will disappear after the food is finished digesting the body.

4. Smoking

For those of you who are smokers, you should immediately avoid products made from tobacco. Because this can also cause bad breath.

Besides bad breath, smoking can also cause other problems. Starting from the color of yellow teeth, problematic gums, to cancer.

How to deal with bad breath while fasting

After knowing what the causes are, the next step is to avoid these factors.

Here are some tips that you can apply to overcome bad breath during fasting in the month of Ramadan.

1. Brush your teeth and use it regularly dental floss

Make sure you clean your teeth and mouth thoroughly. Both after breaking the fast and going to sleep, and especially after eating the meal.

Reported from EgyptTodayHowever, brushing your teeth only cleans 60 percent of the dirt from the surface of your teeth. Therefore, brushing your teeth alone is not enough.

Take the time to clean between the teeth using dental floss. Do it at least once a day.

2. Routinely use mouthwash

Yes, mouthwash indeed can not get rid of bad breath in a long time. However, it is able to help kill bacteria in the mouth.

Use antiseptic mouthwash to rinse your mouth after you brush your teeth. Can also be repeated during the day. However, if this conflicts with your beliefs, you can consult a trusted person.

3. Don’t forget to clean your tongue

When brushing your teeth, don’t forget to brush your tongue as well. If the toothbrush feels uncomfortable, you can use it scraper or a special tongue cleaner.

scraper able to clean the tongue from dead cells, bacteria, and food residue that can cause bad breath.

4. Sufficient drinking water needs

The main cause of bad breath is dry mouth, so make sure you drink enough water at iftar and sahur.

Drinking enough can also prevent you from dehydration and other problems that can arise due to lack of fluids.

5. Avoid foods that cause bad breath

It’s a good idea during Ramadan to reduce your consumption of strong-smelling foods. Such as onions, petai, jengkol, and others.

In addition to smelly foods, you should also avoid foods that contain a lot of sugar. Reported from EgyptTodaysweet foods can increase the number of bacteria in the mouth.

For those of you who smoke, it is also highly recommended to stop doing this unhealthy action.

Why is bad breath so hard to get rid of?

What if persistent bad breath occurs? What if bad breath persists even though you are not fasting? It’s better to call a doctor immediately.

Because prolonged bad breath can also lead to certain medical conditions. Like pneumonia, acute sinus infections, diabetes, chronic acid reflux, to liver and kidney problems.

Handling bad breath in a natural way

Bad breath can also be treated with natural ingredients that are easy to find at home. Natural ways to deal with bad breath that you can do include the following:

1. Green tea

Green tea is an effective home remedy for bad breath. Research shows that green tea has disinfectant and deodorizing properties that can freshen breath temporarily.

Not only that, green tea is also rich in antioxidants which is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The most abundant antioxidant in green tea is Epigallocatechin-3-gallate or EGCG.

A 2013 laboratory study investigated the effects of EGCG on human gum tissue. The study showed that EGCG triggers cells in the gums to release antimicrobial chemicals.

These chemicals target Porphyromonas gingivalis which is a type of bacteria that contributes to gum disease and halitosis. To get rid of bad breath, brew two cups of tea before going to bed and chill it overnight.

2. Tea tree oil

Tea tree can help reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth. Certain bacteria in the mouth secrete chemicals called volatile sulfur compounds or VSCs. These chemicals quickly turn into gases that cause bad breath.

A 2016 study suggests that tea tree oil may be effective in reducing levels of the bacteria that produce VSC. For the study, the researchers isolated P. gingivalis and Porphyromonas endodontalis bacterial cultures in the laboratory.

Then, the researchers treated the cultures with tea tree oil or chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine is a standard antimicrobial that is commonly used in mouthwashes.

The effect of tea tree oil is similar to that of chlorhexidine in that it reduces the growth of bacterial strains as well as the production of VCS.

To make a tea tree oil rinse, dilute a drop of tea tree oil in a few drops of vegetable oil and add it to a cup of warm water. Then, gargle the solution in your mouth for 30 seconds and do it regularly.

3. Cinnamon oil

A 2017 laboratory study investigated the effects of cinnamon oil on S. moorei bacteria. Cinnamon oil itself shows a strong antibacterial effect against S. moorei. In addition, this natural ingredient can also reduce VCS hydrogen sulfide levels.

The researchers found that cinnamon oil did not cause damage to gum cells in humans. Therefore, it is concluded that adding cinnamon oil to oral hygiene products can help control bad breath or halitosis.

However, further research involving human participants is still needed to support this claim. People should not put cinnamon essential oil near the skin without diluting it in a carrier oil first.

To freshen your breath after eating, you can try palate cleansing tea. Tea can be made by adding some spices which are simmered for a few minutes.

The ingredients needed, such as fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and grated ginger.

4. Probiotic yogurt

Probiotics are live bacteria that are beneficial to health. By consuming probiotic yogurt, it can help reduce levels of bad bacteria in the mouth and improve breathing.

All yogurts contain probiotics because these bacteria are needed to turn milk into yogurt. However, probiotic yogurt has higher levels of beneficial bacteria.

A 2017 study compared the effects of probiotic yogurt and xylitol gum on bacterial counts Streptococcus mutans or S mutans in saliva. S mutans itself significantly contributes to tooth decay and halitosis.

5. Parsley

Parsley is a popular folk remedy for bad breath. Its fresh aroma and high chlorophyll content show that this natural ingredient can have an effect on eliminating bad breath.

In a study showed that parsley can effectively combat rotten sulfur compounds. To use, simply chew fresh parsley leaves after eating. Do it regularly to get the desired result.

6. Baking soda

Mouthwash from baking soda is also known to help with bad breath. A study has shown that baking soda which is known as sodium bicarbonate can effectively kill bacteria in the mouth.

Other studies have shown that toothpastes containing high concentrations of baking soda are effective at reducing bad breath. To make a mouthwash from baking soda, you can add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to 1 cup of warm water and gargle for at least 30 seconds.

7. Apple cider vinegar

Apart from baking soda, you can also make a natural mouthwash from apple cider vinegar. Vinegar is known to contain a natural acid called acetic acid. Bacteria don’t like to grow in an acidic environment, so a vinegar mouthwash can reduce their growth.

How to make natural mouthwash from apple cider vinegar is easy. Simply add 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar to 1 cup of water. Gargle for at least 30 seconds before spitting it out. To get optimal results, do it regularly.

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