How do you tell someone he/she has a bad breath?

crazycat · Jul 31, 2009, 02:39 PM

You have a friend who has bad breath, what is the best way to tell him or her so?

Corrosive vinyl · Jul 31, 2009, 03:08 PM

how well do you know this friend? That depends on how blunt you can be about it.

mscriv · Jul 31, 2009, 03:13 PM

"Dude, your breath is rank! As a friend I suggest you do something about it. Mints, gum, brushing after every meal, I don't know what would work best for you, but something needs to be done."

Remember, for some people bad breath can be a medical condition and they need to seek professional support for treatment options. But, if your friend just has bad hygiene then just be straight with them. That's what friends are for.

Edit: It's kinda funny your asking this question with what you've put in your signature line.

jzuena · Jul 31, 2009, 03:32 PM

In my pocket there's a whole thing of Tic-Tacs. Take as many as you like, please.

Signal-11 · Jul 31, 2009, 03:42 PM

Offer gum and/or breath mints. When someone does this to me, I assume it might be because my breath smells that day or something.

Dagless · Jul 31, 2009, 03:58 PM

"Hey I bet you can't chew 5 sticks of gum at once, ready GO"

madog · Jul 31, 2009, 04:00 PM

"Hey, man. I just got this great new gum. You should try it." or some variation thereof.

timerollson · Jul 31, 2009, 04:06 PM

Gag slightly when he or she begins to speak.
Wear a swine flu mask in their presence.
Start telling "Your breath is so stank..." jokes.

psycoswimmer · Jul 31, 2009, 04:26 PM

Put mints in their mailbox, anonymously of course.

Whack A Mac · 04:42 PM

Do not offer mints/gum. Although they will get the hint, every time in the future they are innocently offered minty products they will assume the worst. Subtlety can lead to over-analyzation and neuroticism.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Signal-11

Offer gum and/or breath mints. When someone does this to me, I assume it might be because my breath smells that day or something.

^ Exhibit A. Case in point.

Be frank with them, but not too serious. And have a new subject to change to so it doesn't get awkward.

Signal-11 · Jul 31, 2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whack A Mac

Do not offer mints/gum. Although they will get the hint, every time in the future they are innocently offered minty products they will assume the worst. Subtlety can lead to over-analyzation and neuroticism.

^ Exhibit A. Case in point.

Be frank with them, but not too serious. And have a new subject to change to so it doesn't get awkward.

Meh, I don't mind. I've never been a guy who keeps regular hours so sometimes, I forget to brush my teeth. So when someone offers me breath mints or gum, I just flat out ask, "Is that your way of telling me my breath smells? It's okay if is."

Whack A Mac · Jul 31, 2009, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Signal-11

Meh, I don't mind. I've never been a guy who keeps regular hours so sometimes, I forget to brush my teeth. So when someone offers me breath mints or gum, I just flat out ask, "Is that your way of telling me my breath smells? It's okay if is."

So it still comes down to telling and not alluding to, hinting or suggesting.

DiamondMac · Jul 31, 2009, 04:52 PM

EMail them from a secret account?

I have a work friend do this to another in the office and it worked.

Seems childish but I have told another friend this exact thing and to this day the person is ticked off about it.

RITZFit · Jul 31, 2009, 04:54 PM

I just offer them some gum and take a stick myself for the heck of it.

velocityg4 · Jul 31, 2009, 05:47 PM

If you jokingly exchange insults like I do with my friends. "You're breath stinks. Did you eat something that's rotting." Or something along those lines.

If you tip toe around the issue you miss one an opportunity of friendship. The ability to directly insult without offending.

Whack A Mac · Jul 31, 2009, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by velocityg4

If you jokingly exchange insults like I do with my friends. "You're breath stinks. Did you eat something that's rotting." Or something along those lines.

Yes, any light-hearted way to tell someone works fine.

A note on gum:

Gum does not solve the problem, which we must assume is chronic if the OP has ventured onto a messageboard to seek advice
Offering gum therefore can only be seen as a subtle way of insinuating that there is a problem
This relies on the person in question 'getting it'
Once they have 'got' the subtle message, they might start looking for other 'signals' in life. Is he looking at me funny? Did that guy cover his nose when I spoke to him? Why do people avoid me when I wear the color blue? etc.
This could lead to all sorts of problems, and as we don't know the person in question, this risk must be addressed

Tell them.

cocky jeremy · Jul 31, 2009, 09:23 PM

"Your breath stinks" seems to work nicely.

toolbox · Jul 31, 2009, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timerollson

Wear a swine flu mask in their presence.

LoL that made be laugh.

Melrose · Aug 2, 2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whack A Mac

Be frank with them, but not too serious. And have a new subject to change to so it doesn't get awkward.

well said. I try to be straight up with people, since that's what I'd appreciate in return. That way, also, there's no confusion.

I knew this German chap (my dad's age or better) and he had just about the worst breath you've ever experienced. People offered him mints all the time, and he never got the hint (declining the mints, even repeatedly). One day there were a few of us out somewhere and he comes out the store with a pack of gum and unwraps several pieces and puts them in his mouth, saying that he's heard people think his breath is bad. He died a few hours later of an aneurism. He was funny to be around (in small doses) and it's ironic the day he caught on was the day he died. True story.

Jul 31, 2009, 02:39 PM	#1
crazycat macrumors 65816 Join Date: Dec 2005	How do you tell someone he/she has a bad breath? You have a friend who has bad breath, what is the best way to tell him or her so? __________________ "I don't take kindly to insults" "Funny, with a face like yours, I'd have thought you'd be used to it by now."

Jul 31, 2009, 03:08 PM	#2
Corrosive vinyl macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2006	how well do you know this friend? That depends on how blunt you can be about it. __________________ "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind. " -Einstein

Jul 31, 2009, 03:13 PM	#3
mscriv macrumors 65816 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dallas, Texas	"Dude, your breath is rank! As a friend I suggest you do something about it. Mints, gum, brushing after every meal, I don't know what would work best for you, but something needs to be done." Remember, for some people bad breath can be a medical condition and they need to seek professional support for treatment options. But, if your friend just has bad hygiene then just be straight with them. That's what friends are for. Edit: It's kinda funny your asking this question with what you've put in your signature line. __________________ I'm a professional counselor. If I deem our forum interaction to be professional in nature then I will bill you. Prompt payment is expected.

Jul 31, 2009, 03:32 PM	#4
jzuena macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Burlington, MA, USA	In my pocket there's a whole thing of Tic-Tacs. Take as many as you like, please. __________________ 2009 Mac mini C2D 2.0Ghz 4GB; MacbookPro C2D 2.4Ghz 4GB iPod touch 16GB (Gen 1); iPod shuffle 1GB & 2GB (Gen 2); TV

Jul 31, 2009, 03:58 PM	#6
Dagless macrumors 604 Join Date: Jan 2005	"Hey I bet you can't chew 5 sticks of gum at once, ready GO" __________________ Maybe if everyone who'd ever been close to you had died, you'd be sarcastic, too.

Jul 31, 2009, 03:42 PM	#5
Signal-11 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 2nd Star to the Right	Offer gum and/or breath mints. When someone does this to me, I assume it might be because my breath smells that day or something.

Jul 31, 2009, 04:00 PM	#7
madog macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Korova Milkbar	"Hey, man. I just got this great new gum. You should try it." or some variation thereof. __________________ CLEAN INSTALL [klēn ĭn-stôl' -- kleen in-stawl]: to back up your drive, then erase it, install OS on it, copy personal data to it, and manually reinstall applications on it.

Jul 31, 2009, 04:06 PM	#8
timerollson macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: heretothere	Gag slightly when he or she begins to speak. Wear a swine flu mask in their presence. Start telling "Your breath is so stank..." jokes.

Jul 31, 2009, 04:26 PM	#9
psycoswimmer macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: USA	Put mints in their mailbox, anonymously of course. __________________ 20" iMac C2D 2.16GHz, 1GB RAM, 128mb VRAM, 10.4.9 iPod Touch 16GB iPod Shuffle 1GB

Jul 31, 2009, 04:52 PM	#13
DiamondMac macrumors 68020 Join Date: Aug 2006	EMail them from a secret account? I have a work friend do this to another in the office and it worked. Seems childish but I have told another friend this exact thing and to this day the person is ticked off about it. __________________ 16-Gig 3G-iPhone, 40-Gig IPod, 60-Gig MacBookPro, 2GHz Intel Core Duo, 2 GB - 667MHz RAM, 200-Gig iMac, 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB 667 MHz

Jul 31, 2009, 04:54 PM	#14
RITZFit macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In my Corner	I just offer them some gum and take a stick myself for the heck of it. __________________ Do Work!

Jul 31, 2009, 05:47 PM	#15
velocityg4 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Georgia	If you jokingly exchange insults like I do with my friends. "You're breath stinks. Did you eat something that's rotting." Or something along those lines. If you tip toe around the issue you miss one an opportunity of friendship. The ability to directly insult without offending. __________________ Quadra 650 040 33MHz 72MB RAM, 2GB HD, 2x CD PMac G5 Rev B 2x2.0; 2.5GB RAM, 600GB HD RAID 0 Macbook C2D 2.0Ghz; 2GB RAM, 320GB HD Home Made Pent DC 2.5GHz, ATI 4850

Jul 31, 2009, 09:23 PM	#17
cocky jeremy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2008	"Your breath stinks" seems to work nicely. __________________  24" iMac, 2.93 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 640 GB HDD  8 GB iPhone  16 GB white iPhone 3G  16 GB white iPhone 3G S⃣

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