The COVID-19 pandemic introduced the general public to something most of us who work in health care have been familiar with during our working lives: protective face masks. Those of us who are seasoned in face mask wear know they can cause two potential issues if you aren’t aware and take a few measures to prevent them.
“Maskne,” a clever name for the redness and irritation caused by friction from wearing a mask, and “mask mouth,” bad breath from wearing a mask all day, are things many people around the world are experiencing for the first time. We’ll leave the maskne skin care tips to the dermatologists, but in this post, we’ll describe what mask mouth is, what causes it, and a few tips to prevent it.
Does Wearing a COVID-19 Face Mask Cause Bad Breath?
Protective face masks don’t actually cause halitosis, or bad breath, but they do help create the conditions that cause it. When most people wear a face mask, they tend to breathe through their mouth more. That, combined with the drier environment behind the face mask, can lead to dry mouth with prolonged wear. Dry mouth causes bad breath by allowing bacteria in the mouth and around the gums to multiply. Dry mouth unchecked can increase your risk for worse oral health issues such as cavities and gum disease.
How Do You Prevent Mask Mouth?
The great news is that fighting back against mask mouth is pretty easy and it should never be a reason not to wear a face mask to protect others. The most important step, first, is to be aware of it. Next, make sure you’re brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once. If you’re wearing a mask all day, rinse your mouth after meals whenever possible to make sure you dislodge food particles and wash the acid off the surface of your teeth. This will cut down on bacteria growth.
As health professionals, we’re always encouraging people to drink more water, but for those of us going out with masks on during the pandemic, we now have a good reminder to drink more sitting right on our faces. Being properly hydrated is another great, simple way to prevent dry mouth from wearing a mask and comes with a lot of other benefits too. It’s also good for rebuilding healthy tissue if you’re experiencing skin irritation around the mask.
If you’re brushing and flossing, making sure you’re drinking plenty of water, and rinsing out your mouth but you’re still sporting some powerful bad breath, make an appointment with your dentist for a cleaning and to get checked out for gum inflammation and other signs of periodontal disease. Avoiding dry mouth is key to keeping most mask mouth issues in check, but there may be bigger concerns to address if your bad breath is persistent even with all these precautions.
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