03 February 2025
If you wake up in the morning with a white or yellow coating on your tongue and a foul odour, you are not alone. This is usually related to a reduced or even zero saliva flow during the night and can be largely controlled by paying more attention to oral hygiene. Here are the causes and solutions to this problem:
1.Bacteria and Fungus Accumulation: The indented structures on the tongue surface facilitate the attachment of bacteria and fungi.
2.Saliva Reduction: During sleep, saliva production decreases, stops completely and bacteria continue to multiply rapidly in the mouth.
- Nutrition and Stomach Problems: Eating late or reflux of stomach acid (reflux) can increase the formation of white coating on the tongue.
- Smoking and Alcohol Use: It causes dry mouth and facilitates the proliferation of bacteria. It also causes a bad odour to persist for a long time.
How to Prevent?
- Clean your tongue: If you cannot use a tongue cleaner, you can gently brush your tongue with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Drink Plenty of Water: Consuming enough water helps to clean the bacteria in the mouth by increasing saliva production.
- Avoid Eating at Night: Especially carbohydrate and sugary foods allow bacteria to feed and multiply and produce bad odour.
- Use Mouthwash: Alcohol-free antiseptic mouthwashes can reduce bacteria on the tongue surface.
- Do not neglect your teeth and gums: Brushing and flossing twice a day prevents bacteria from spreading and increasing in number.
With these simple measures, you can greatly reduce the problem of morning bad breath and white coating on the tongue. If the problem persists, it will be useful to consult a dentist as there may be a different underlying health problem.