Question

I often have a bad taste in my mouth and it seems to originate from the tongue. Whenever I brush it thoroughly it is okay for a short while. However, after a while or shortly after eating, my tongue seems to perhaps build up something on it. I don’t often get a visible white coating, and often if I scrape my tongue, nothing will come off. It is at its worst in the morning when I wake up and late at night. In the morning I sometimes do have a residue on my tongue and have an unpleasant feeling/taste.

I maintain good dental hygiene - I brush teeth and tongue regularly and I floss. What can you recommend? I’ve tried various mouthwashes, but they don’t seem to do anything. Particularly the ones with alcohol in. Is it possible that my saliva doesn’t contain certain enzymes that normally destroy some of the bacteria on the tongue. Or could it be that my saliva just doesn’t contain enough? Or perhaps there is something wrong with my tongue.

I would appreciate it if you could help me on this.

Answer 

The source of oral malodor can be anywhere in the path of the airway, although the mouth is often the area first to garner suspicion.

One thing we have found is that a person is ill equipped to determine the presence or absence of his own bad breath. We have often encountered patients unaware of their own severe halitosis, and conversely, we have frequently encountered patients complaining of bad breath that we found to be undetectable.

The mouth is a warm, moist environment with a sufficient supply of organic nutrients to keep oral bacteria healthy, happy, and proliferating. We think that an instrument (toothbrush, dental floss, tooth pick, etc.) that is used and then thrust under the nose will always yield a detectable scent. Happily, this is not a common social activity!

What we are saying is that you may not have the problem that you think. “Morning mouth” is a common condition caused by the slowing of salivary flow during sleep. This permits the accumulation of desquamated epithelial cells, organic debris, and bacteria, which would otherwise be cleared from the mouth and swallowed. Everyone has this to an extent. Antimicrobial factors in saliva (enzymes and antibodies) are thought to be irrelevant to bad breath; it is more related to the volume of salivary flow. You should discuss this issue with your dentist.

By Brooklyn Dentistry Office