I was banded on 3/15/2011 and so far so good. But...I feel like there is a film on my teeth and my breath is not normal. Has anyone experienced this? any suggestions?

Would appreciate any input

I was banded on 3/15/2011 and so far so good. But...I feel like there is a film on my teeth and my breath is not normal. Has anyone experienced this? any suggestions?

Would appreciate any input

The feeling of a film on your teeth is usually from plaque. This would be the reason for the bad breath. If it is, the most effective thing to do is increase the time you spend brushing your teeth. So, if you're not already, brush for the full recommended two minutes each time. Other than that, maybe start using a good (non-alcohol) mouth wash? Alcohol mouth washes, while killing bacteria effectively, also dry out your mouth causing bad breath (but it wouldn't really explain the film). Also remember to clean your tongue, the roof of your mouth etc. each time. You may already be doing all of these things, but many people also don't, so I say this just in case. Are you using an electric toothbrush? They're really effective at getting rid of plaque.

If you already are doing everything you reasonably can to keep your teeth and mouth clean, maybe it's that your not drinking enough Water since the surgery? Water not only washes out the mouth but also helps produce saliva, which reduces plaque.

i was told by the nurse at my dr's office that it's because i'm in ketosis. she said it's absolutely normal (i was banded on 3/15 too and just started on soft foods today and noticed that it's better). i think it's just mainly bad when you're on the fasting diet. don't chew gum though. i asked if i could and it's on the no list for a while. just brush and use listerine if you can.

Hey teachkins! It's most likely due to your increased protein intake. If you Google ketosis you'll see one of the symptoms is bad breath. I had the issue before when I was doing Atkins and now that I've started drinking the protein shakes again I've noticed the issue a few times myself. Hope that helps

It happens when I drink the protein. Gonna try listerine-thank.

It happens over and above teeth brushing, never had this problem before.

My surgeon warned me about this issue. The first few weeks are the worst. Brushing your teeth has nothing to do with this right now. Because I couldn't eat mints, I bought listerine strips that dissolve in the mouth. They were so helpful!

What everyone is saying is right, but in my case that bad breath and gritty feeling on my teeth turned out to be thrush. I noticed it after the surgery, and had to get some medicine for it, because it won't go away on it's own. Have your doctor check it out just in case. It's not uncommon to get thrush after surgery or having antibiotics. Just do a google search on Thrush and check your tongue and throat for any spots or discoloration.

I was banded on 3/15/2011 and so far so good. But...I feel like there is a film on my teeth and my breath is not normal. Has anyone experienced this? any suggestions?

Would appreciate any input

True, I totally forgot about ketosis. I remember having bad breath for a little while when on a no-carb diet (I'm not doing no carb now). That might be it. Then again, I don't remember having a film over my teeth. Yeah, I'd probably try to overcome the bad breath with mouth-wash and increasing my Water intake.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Gonna try the listerine !

As everyone else said, if you're eating really low carb (around 30gm or so a day), you're in ketosis. Not a bad thing but you can avoid the dragon breath by just drinking more Water. I drink 64 fl oz *minimum* each day and I'm eating about 20 carbs or less a day and don't have the dragon breath. When I do have it, it's a reminder to drink more water to dilute the ketones in my system.

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Another thought is that when you are on Antibiotics or pain meds it causes really bad breath and I was on both meds for 1 week after surgery.