What Is Roof of Mouth?
Roof of Mouth: A condition where the upper lip turns a yellowish color. The cause of this condition is unknown, but it’s thought to be due to exposure to sunlight or other factors such as smoking or drinking alcohol. Some people are born with a predisposition towards having this problem while others develop it later in life.
The symptoms vary from person to person depending on their genetic makeup, age, and lifestyle habits. If left untreated, the condition can lead to permanent damage to your teeth.
When To See A Dentist
If you have any concerns about your smile, then seeing a dentist is always recommended. They will be able to diagnose what is causing the problem and prescribe appropriate treatment. However, if you don’t want to see a doctor, there are some things you can do yourself at home.
1. Avoiding Sunlight
Avoiding direct sun exposure is one of the best ways to prevent roof of mouth. Also avoid wearing loose fitting clothing and hats when outdoors, especially if you’re working outside. Wear sunglasses when out in the sun so that you can protect your eyes from damaging rays.
Also, wear sunscreen whenever possible because it helps reduce the risk of skin cancer and wrinkles caused by UV radiation.
2. Flossing
Proper dental care is also very important in helping to decrease the risk of roof of mouth. Flossing at least once a day can help eliminate food and bacteria build-up between your teeth. This helps fight off the odor causing bacteria that can lead to roof of mouth.
3. Using A Tongue Scraper
Using a tongue scraper is another good way to eliminate odor causing bacteria in the morning. The tongue is constantly secreting a layer of bacteria and dead skin cells, so keeping it clean is essential for your mouth health. You can easily find tongue scrapers at your local drug store or pharmacy.
4. Using A Mouthwash
Following flossing and scraping, rinse with a mouth wash to eliminate the risk of odor causing bacteria. Make sure the mouth wash doesn’t contain alcohol if you’re prone to dry mouth because this can make the problem worse!
5. Using A Waterpik
A waterpik is a great way of eliminating odor causing bacteria and food particles from the crevasses in your teeth and gum line. If you don’t have easy access to a waterpik or can’t get to one, you can also use a dental irrigator. Dental irrigator’s are much cheaper and can be found at most drug stores.
6. Changing Toothbrush
If you suffer from roof of mouth then chances are you’re also suffering from bad breath as well. This is because odor causing bacteria spreads throughout your mouth and makes its way to your tongue and the inside of your cheeks. In order to eliminate this problem, you should change your toothbrush every month and make sure it’s not a toothbrush that’s shared with anyone else.
7. Avoid Certain Foods
Some people experience roof of mouth due to certain types of foods that they eat. If this is the case for you, you should avoid eating these foods as they are only going to make the problem worse. The most common culprits are onions and garlic, but other foods can have this effect as well such as those that are very sweet or very acidic.
Foods that cause dry mouth are especially bad because this invites harmful bacteria and leads to more bad breath.
8. Drink Plenty Of Water
Drinking lots of water is important because it helps to wash harmful bacteria from your mouth as well as keep your mouth feeling clean and fresh. Aim to drink at least eight glasses of water every day. You can also use alternative methods of getting hydrated such as drinking fruit juice, coconut waters, and sports drinks.
However, these alternatives aren’t as good at keeping your mouth free from odor causing bacteria so its best to stick with water.
9. Using A Neti Pot
Another good way of rinsing out your mouth is by using a neti pot. This can be found at most drug stores or pharmacies and involves using salt water to flush out the inside of your nostrils. Although not technically water, the salt in the water has antibacterial properties that help fight off harmful bacteria in the roof of your mouth causing bad breath.
10. Chew Sugarless Gum
One of the final ways to help eliminate bad breath and the odor causing bacteria in your mouth is to chew sugarless gum. Although this isn’t as effective as the above methods, it still helps to keep your mouth moist and fresh. It also has the added benefit of getting saliva flowing in your mouth which reduces the smell of acetone that some people experience due to dry mouth.
Roof of mouth causes bad breath for many people. Although some cases are much worse than others, there are ways you can eliminate or at least reduce the problem. Try out these methods and see which ones work best for you.
If these don’t work, you may wish to consult your doctor as you may have a more serious condition.
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Sources & references used in this article:
The yellow wallpaper by CP Gilman – 1999 – norcalwp.org
This bridge called my back: Writings by radical women of color by CN Adichie – 2006 – Alfred a Knopf Incorporated
Observations on the mentality of chimpanzees and orang-utans by C Moraga, G Anzaldúa – 2015 – books.google.com
Contrasts in social behavior between Central American cichlid fishes and coral-reef surgeon fishes by WH Furness – Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1916 – JSTOR
The Writings of Henry David Thoreau…. by GW Barlow – American Zoologist, 1974 – academic.oup.com
Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit by HD Thoreau, B Torrey, FB Sanborn – 1906 – books.google.com