Don't forget to brush your tongue, too!

Things I do that I've noticed makes for better morning breath:

• eat well before bed (a few hours)
• brush thoroughly with just water
• floss
• swish water + 1/4 tsp baking soda for several minutes while getting ready for bed
• drink some water before going to sleep and upon waking

gl

Eat very little to no refined sugar.

Thoroughly brush your teeth before bed with just water, massaging gum line.

Floss your teeth before bed. Get below the gum line but do not use a sawing motion.

Don't eat crumbly foods before bed, like nuts. And thoroughly gargle with water and/or use a water pick before bed to clean your tonsils and the back of your throat. Food particles stuck in the back of your throat in your tonsils will make your breath smell something awful, whether you brush your teeth or not. And it is incredibly common for people to get food stuck back there, because the tonsils have lots of deep folds.

Toothpaste and mouthwash are unnecessary, because immediately after the bacteria are killed with those products, they begin to grow back. It is much better to avoid refined sugar and carbs (ideal bacteria food & growth promoters) and brush/floss (which mechanically removes the biofilms on which bacteria are protected and very easily grow. Studies show that bacteria in biofilms --aka plaque-- are resistant to antimicrobials, like toothpaste.) So removed the biofilms/plaque.

This advice comes from a person who studies bacteria, and has zero cavities/dental problems.

floss, it's rotting food that makes the smell so get the bacteria out of the little crevices (particularly meat!)

brush with normal bar soap then again with toothpaste

brush your tongue

try to breathe through your nose at night and not your mouth as this dries it out

don't stress too much, everyone has morning breath to some extent

I'm sleeping during the in-between. As long as hubby isn't mouth breathing all over my face during the night, morning is no problem. Of course, I brush my teeth as soon as I get out of the shower and he is still asleep when I leave for work.