Many people notice their breath is much heavier when they go without food for long or are on a diet. It is quite common, and in most cases there are fairly simple ways to reduce it.
- Fasting or dieting reduces saliva and changes metabolism, so breath easily smells.
- Drinking regularly, brushing twice a day and cleaning between the teeth and tongue helps reduce the smell.
- Crunchy vegetables and sugar free gum help stimulate saliva.
- Persistent heavy breath, or breath with heavy thirst and weight loss, is a reason to be checked.
Many people notice their breath becoming heavy on days of intermittent fasting, strict dieting or simply skipping breakfast. Even after careful brushing, the smell appears and is unpleasant. This usually has clear causes, and most can be managed with a few small changes.
Why does fasting make breath smell?
- Less saliva: without eating and chewing, the salivary glands work less, the mouth dries and bacteria multiply faster, see sleeping with the mouth open and waking up dry.
- The body switches energy source: when you eat very little starch, the body burns more fat and produces substances with an odd smell that escape in the breath.
- Drinking little water while dieting dries the mouth further.
- Eating little fruit, vegetables and fibre, so plaque on the teeth and tongue is less naturally cleaned.
How can you reduce bad breath?
- Sip water regularly through the day, especially while fasting.
- Brush twice a day, clean between the teeth and gently clean the tongue, see whether tongue scraping is necessary.
- When you do eat, choose crunchy vegetables and low sugar fruit to stimulate saliva.
- Chew sugar free gum to ease a dry mouth if needed.
- Avoid using too much alcohol based mouthwash, which dries the mouth further.
When should bad breath be checked?
If your breath still smells heavy after you return to normal eating, or comes with swollen bleeding gums or toothache, have your mouth checked. See bad breath, causes and how to handle it. If your breath has an unusual fruity smell with heavy thirst, frequent urination or weight loss, you should see a doctor early.
When should you visit Ky Hoa Dental Clinic?
Nha Khoa Ky Hoa is at 266A - 268, 3 Thang 2 Street, Hoa Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. You can walk in during opening hours, or call the hotline 028.3868.1097 to ask about quieter times first. The dentist will check your teeth, gums and tongue to look for causes in the mouth.
Frequently asked questions
Does fasting cause bad breath?
It can. When fasting, less saliva is produced so the mouth dries and bacteria multiply faster, and the body also burns more fat, producing odours that escape in the breath.
How can I reduce bad breath while dieting?
Drink regularly, brush twice a day, clean between the teeth and the tongue, choose crunchy vegetables when you eat and chew sugar free gum if needed.
When does bad breath need to be checked?
When it stays heavy after normal eating resumes, comes with swollen bleeding gums or toothache, or has an unusual fruity smell with heavy thirst and weight loss.