UNAIR NEWS – Bad breath often becomes a nuisance when fasting. The body does not eat and drink for hours, which makes the mouth dry and triggers an unpleasant odor. Dr Desiana Radithia drg Sp PM(K) via Dokter UNAIR TV YouTube channel, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, explained that bad breath when fasting is caused by decreased saliva production.
The lecturer at Faculty of Dental Medicine (FKG) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) explained that decreasing saliva production during fasting is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it causes some microorganisms to die so that we can rearrange the balance of microorganisms in the oral cavity. On the other hand, it leads to dry mouth and dead microorganisms that cannot be cleaned, causing an unpleasant odor.
“The saliva functions as a direct cleansing. Mechanically with sufficient quantities and good quality, this saliva will help clean our oral cavity from microorganism deposits, food debris, and the decay of the oral cavity, which keeps happening all the time, ” she said.
Furthermore, Dr. Desi emphasized that bad breath does not only occur because of fasting. It can happen because of cavities, tartar build-up, and canker sores. Moreover, he continued, what we eat can also cause bad breath.
How to prevent bad breath
Drg Desi said that the key to the cause of the unpleasant smell is in the saliva. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that saliva continues to produce and does not allow the mouth to dry out. “The way saliva needs to be stimulated, it needs a stimulus to come out,” she said.
According to her, there are three easy ways to stimulate saliva to avoid bad breath while fasting. First, you have to stay productive. For example, when talking, the mouth will be productive and can stimulate saliva production. Second, gargling during ablution should be used as best as possible because gargling will stimulate the salivary glands to produce saliva.
“So it is better to rinse your mouth when you do ablution, and a good mouthwash is effective, a mouthwash that moves all the muscles of the cheeks and lips so that the water with good pressure enters between the teeth, so it is very effective for cleaning,” she said.
Third, do not get dehydrated. Drg Desi said that to keep the salivary glands working well, the body should not become dehydrated because saliva comes from water, so it must be ensured that the body receives adequate water intake.
How to maintain oral health
Then, Dr. Desi explained that maintaining oral health is quite complex but very important to do. She said four ways can be done to maintain oral health while fasting. The methods are brushing your teeth twice a day after eating suhoor and at night before going to bed, using mouthwash after brushing your teeth, brushing your tongue with a special tool, and using dental floss to clean between your teeth.
“These four ways are the most effective for maintaining oral hygiene,” she said. (*)
Author: Wiji Astutik
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
