Why do we get bad breath in the morning?

It’s somewhat unpleasant when you wake up with halitosis, more commonly known as bad breath, but it’s actually a totally normal and natural phenomenon. A 2018 research review on the subject found that as many as 31.8% of people are affected. What’s more, it can happen even if you brush your teeth carefully the night before. There are actually quite a few different factors that contribute to morning bad breath.
One of those is to do with ketones, a type of energy source formed when glucose is not readily available, usually when our stomach is empty. Now while we sleep our bodies generate ketones, and the liver releases these compounds as a compensatory energy mechanism after we eat a meal. Their distinct odour is partly responsible when we have less-than-fresh morning breath.
What are the other reasons? Why do we sometimes have bad breath during the day? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!
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A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.
First broadcast: 30/12/2023
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