Q Me and my partner suffer from chronic morning breath. Is it a sign of something worse?

A The infamous ‘morning breath’ can be a real problem for some people but it is nothing worse than plain old bad breath – otherwise known as halitosis.

If you think that you are the only one who suffers from morning breath, rest assured that we all suffer from it in some capacity, although some of us won’t suffer as badly as others.

The biggest trigger of morning breath is dry mouth which is caused as a result of your mouth lacking in saliva – this is completely normal as your mouth naturally dries when you sleep at night – making it a feeding ground for bacteria!

There are numerous other reasons for having bad breath in general – poor oral hygiene, infections in your mouth, smoking, chewing tobacco and in some cases, mouth cancer. If you are worried then speak with your dentist or GP.

Therefore it is important to ensure that your oral hygiene routine is robust and consists of brushing first thing in the morning and before you go to sleep at night as well as ensuring your mouth is fresh throughout the day, either by chewing sugar-free gum or using mouthwash whenever you feel your breath is starting to smell.

Before you go to sleep at night, try to avoid eating foods like garlic or onions as well as drinking coffee. Make sure you drink water before you go to sleep and keep a bottle close by for if you wake up thirsty in the middle of the night.

For more information about dental issues, contact Synergy Dental Clinics Bolton or Bury, email bury@synergydental.org.uk or go to synergydental.org.uk/dentist-in-bury