We’ve all woken up with morning breath, but sometimes even brushing doesn’t help.

What do you do if brushing consistently doesn’t help? Go see a medical professional. It may seem silly, but in reality, your mouth is the best indicator of your overall health. Keeping your mouth clean and healthy can prevent a number of diseases, including heart disease.

Along that same line, when something is out of the ordinary with your teeth, it could be an indicator that an issue more serious may be growing inside. Let’s take a look at what your breath could mean.

Periodontal

Gum disease is probably your first thought and is relatively common. If your mouth also bleeds when you brush or your breath smells metallic. Gum disease can be congenital — if a family member has periodontitis, you could too.

Acid Reflux

Have you ever wondered why babies spit up so much? Little humans struggle with acid reflux. They’re trying to figure how to eat food through the mouth instead of the umbilical cord, and condition causes your stomach acid to flow up the esophagus. It can happen on occassion but if it’s a chronic condition for you, your breath will smell because of all the new bacteria being introduced into your mouth. Stomach bile is an acid that can burn your mouth and throat, so get checked out as soon as possible! Also, even if you’re feeling yucky after vomiting, you should brush your teeth. You’ll feel better and lessen the risk of rotting your mouth with harmful bodily fluids.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that means your body is struggling to process the glucose in your system naturally. A sign of diabetes is fruity breath, an indication that your body is processing fat in place of glucose, and you need to see a doctor about your hormonal insulin levels.

H. Pylori

This is a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. Ew! Symptoms of H. Pylori are stinky breath, heartburn, and indigestion. Luckily if it’s caught early, it can be killed through antibiotics. Yay for modern medicine!

Mucus

If you have a cold or allergies that are making your nose runny, your breath might stink more often than usual. That’s caused by the mucus running down the back of your throat. The bad breath should go away once your nose stops running. In the meantime get some strong mints! They’ll clear out your nose and freshen your breath at the same time.

Some of those may seem extreme, in the sense that they could never happen to you. As comedian John Mulaney once put it, “Sometimes you don’t know what’s gonna happen, and then… you know, something happens. Well, yeah, that’s how all of life works.” At Texarkana Dentist we strive to be sure that all of our patients are as healthy as possible from the bottom of their stomach acid all the way to the pearly enamel of their teeth. Contact us to schedule an appointment and have your teeth cleaned, your gums checked, and your breath purified.