Contents:
- Medical Video: What causes bad breath (and how to get rid of it)
- Causes of bad breath when fasting
- Tips to prevent bad breath when fasting
Medical Video: What causes bad breath (and how to get rid of it)
Bad breath can be one of your problems during fasting. Bad mouth odor can make you uncomfortable, your daily activities can also be disrupted. Actually what causes bad breath and how do you avoid bad breath during fasting?
Causes of bad breath when fasting
At the time of fasting, your body may use fat as the main energy source because the glycogen reserves in the liver and muscles that are used as sources of energy are used up. When fat is used, the body will produce compounds called ketones. This compound has a distinctive odor that can smell through your breath.
Besides that, during fasting we are not allowed to drink water. The condition of this dry mouth can also cause bad breath because when the mouth is dry, the saliva in the mouth decreases. In fact, saliva serves to neutralize the acid produced from plaque. Saliva also plays a role in removing dead cells that accumulate on the tongue, gums, and cheeks. If these dead cells are left alone, they can cause bad breath.
Food and drinks that you consume during dawn or breaking can also affect bad breath. Digested food will be circulated throughout the body through the blood, including to the lungs. If you eat foods or drinks that have a strong aroma, it is not impossible that your breath will smell unpleasant.
Less clean brushing can also be a cause of bad breath when fasting. To clean your mouth, brushing your teeth is not enough. You also have to use dental floss, clean the gum part, to clean the tongue.
Tips to prevent bad breath when fasting
- Clean mouth thoroughly:
- Start by brushing your teeth using toothpaste containing fluoride, this serves to remove plaque and food scraps. Brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes.
- Don't forget to clean your tongue. You can use special tools that are designed to clean the tongue. Or usually on the back of your toothbrush is already available tongue cleanser.
- After that, use dental floss to clean between teeth. This part is often difficult to clean using a toothbrush only so that it can trigger plaque formation and cause bad breath.
- Finally, you can use an anti-bacterial mouthwash.
- Do all of these steps after eating sahur and before going to bed at night, don't just brush your teeth because brushing is only able to clean 60% of your mouth. Consult with your dentist to choose the type of toothpaste, toothbrush, and mouthwash that suits you.
- Do not smoke during sahur: if you are used to smoking after eating sahur, you should start getting used to stopping the habit because tobacco can cause bad breath. Besides smoking also increases your risk of experiencing problems with the gums which then cause bad breath.
- Drink lots of water: at dawn, multiply your fluid consumption by drinking water. As explained earlier, dry mouth conditions can cause bad breath. Make sure your fluid consumption is sufficient before fasting.
- Look at what you eat: avoid eating pungent foods, especially at dawn, because after food is digested it will circulate blood throughout the body including the lungs and eventually cause your breath to smell bad
