Bad Breath Problems, Medical or Oral

January 31, 2008 – 9:31 am

What To Do About Bad Breath

Bad breath is a problem for all of us at some time or other. Some people have bad breath due to poor oral hygiene. Others may have a medical problem. If it is a medical problem there are many reasons leading to the causes of bad breath. It can be from sickness, intestinal disorders, gum disease or any number of other problems.

It is an uncomfortable situation, to be in a close conversation with someone that has foul smelling breath. It can almost make you feel nauseous to continue the conversation, and can be difficult not to convey an expression of repugnance.

Putrid odors from any source elicit an almost involuntary response, and bad breath is no different. This is a very difficult situation to deal with and many people want to simply get away from the offensive source as quickly as possible.

So what can be done about bad breath? First of all, each and every person has a responsibility to take good care of their teeth and perform good oral hygiene that will help prevent bad breath. It is a common courtesy to make sure that others do not have to suffer with a person’s laziness and lack of personal care. People who know that they have a problem with foul breath should recognize the fact and take care of the problem to the best of their ability. If they can not handle the problem on their own they should seek professional help of the dentist and doctor.

When a person is faced with speaking or dealing with another person who has bad breath it is important to address the situation rather than get away from it. Sometimes a person has a medical problem that causes them to have bad breath and they are completely unaware of the odor in their mouth or the medical problem.

By telling someone they have bad breath a person may assist another in a health issue in addition to improving their social outlook. Even though this may be a difficult conversation to initiate, it is important.

One way to address the situation may be to offer the person a piece of gum or a mint and gently tell them that they may need to see a physician to discover what their problem is. Or a person can bring up the subject of bad breath and talk about its seriousness and then offer the mint or gum.

This should help most people understand they have a problem. Some people will require a very direct statement telling them they have bad breath and need to do something about it. Although this is a hard thing to do it is something that needs to be done.

Bad breath is a very personal problem, and to be told you have bad breath is embarrassing. It doesn’t matter how polite or careful you are about the person’s feelings, it is still a sensitive issue to raise. If the person doesn’t normally have bad breath, and it is only a rare occurrence, you may decide not to say anything.

If on the other hand it is a constant problem, it is in both interests to broach the subject, no matter how sensitive. Consideration for another’s feelings is very important. How the message is conveyed may be a factor in efforts made by the sufferer to overcome the problem.