Halitosis Helper: How to Tell Someone They Have Bad Breath
March 15, 2008
We all know people who suffer from situational or chronic halitosis. Nobody wants to have bad breath, but people who do usually don’t know it because of a phenomenon called acclimation. In essence, the body gets used to the smell of its own breath so it can still smell other things.
Telling someone they have situational bad breath is the easiest bad breath conundrum to solve. Everyone realizes that some foods – onions and garlic are common examples – can cause brief episodes of bad breath. Offering that person a breath mint after a meal is an easy and relatively inoffensive way to get the message across.
Helping those who have chronic halitosis can be more challenging. When bad breath becomes chronic because of tonsil stones or the build-up of odor-causing bacteria in the tongue or gums, it’s time to offer serious help. Still, most of us are probably not comfortable getting up close and personal with a friend or co-worker and telling them face-to-face about their problem.
A good way to offer help and still remain anonymous in doing so can be found at the web site of Dr. Harold Katz, founder of the California Breath Clinics and the creator of Therabreath products. The site lets you send a caring but anonymous email to someone who needs to know they have bad breath, suggesting helpful solutions to their problem.
This halitosis helper gets high marks. There’s hardly an easier way to tell a friend, relative or coworker about their bad breath.
One final thought: If you’re concerned that no one has told you about a halitosis problem of your own, take this virtual breath test today!
