Telling a friend or acquaintance that you have bad breath is as problematic as it is embarrassing. Understanding how to approach the subject without hurting his feelings is difficult, but you also need to be honest and help him, because there are harmless ways to let him know about his bad breath, whether he is aware of it or not.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Giving Clues
Step 1. Pretend you have bad breath
A typical way to allude to a particular problem is to act as if it were your own - it's a great way to bring up the topic of bad breath to someone, especially if it's a person you're not very familiar with, because it's a indirect form to induce her to reflect on her own breath. Start the conversation by saying:
- "I'm going to have a sip of water, I feel I have terrible breath"
- "Is it my impression or do I really have bad breath?"
- "Can you smell my breath? Seems bad to me"
Step 2. Offer her something to freshen her breath
Another implicit way of letting a person know that they have bad breath is to offer them a peppermint, chewing gum, or a glass of water, because dry mouth can also cause bad breath, and see if they pick up the signal. For a natural interaction, try grabbing a peppermint first and then offering her one, so you'll both be involved in the situation.
Step 3. Reiterate that he should take a breath mint if he refuses
Etiquette experts agree that if you offer a person something that freshens their breath and they refuse, it is perfectly acceptable to urge them to accept with a polite "I think you should", because it is a discreet way to make them understand that first you have sent an alternate signal. If you still don't understand, let a friend or colleague try it!
Step 4. Practice good oral hygiene when you are with the affected person
If someone with bad breath often has this problem, their chronic bad breath could be caused by poor oral hygiene and not just by the foods they eat or the use of tobacco products. If it's an occasional problem, chances are she neglected to brush her teeth after meals that day. In any case, try to show her good practices:
- After lunch, say, "I'm going to the bathroom for a moment to brush my teeth; there was a lot of garlic in that dish!"
- Show or talk about how you always keep floss and mouthwash handy in the office because you can't stand having bad breath.
- If you are familiar with such a person, try saying, "I'm going to the bathroom to rinse my mouth with a little mouthwash diluted with water: I feel I have horrible breath and I can't stand it."
Method 2 of 3: Being Direct
Step 1. Evaluate how familiar you are with the person concerned
In general, you should be all the more direct with a person the more confident you are. If it's a friend or colleague of sibling level, this is a great strategy, but if it's a superior or a more stranger person, consider giving clues first, as they are more likely to be offended by the moment. that you are not in confidence.
Step 2. Talk to him privately
Regardless of how nice you are in saying it, pointing out to a person that they have bad breath will make them uncomfortable and embarrassed. To mitigate this a little, be sure to wait until you are alone with the person concerned or ask them to speak to them privately if the problem needs to be resolved promptly.
Step 3. Tell him politely
It is very important to understand that there is a difference between being direct and being insensitive. When direct it is important to avoid going around the problem, refraining from making inappropriate comparisons such as "Your breath smells like sewer" and without assuming a critical attitude or an expression of disgust. Here are some ideas for starting a conversation correctly and politely:
- "I noticed something, I don't know if you noticed it too, but your breath is a bit heavy."
- "Sorry for telling you, but you don't have fresh breath right now."
- "If that happens to me, I'd rather they tell me, so I thought I'd tell you you'd better eat a mint right now."
Step 4. Help him solve the problem
After you tell the person that they have a bad breath problem, it's important to help them solve the problem, so you could offer them a peppermint, invite them to drop by the grocery store to buy a packet of chewing gum, or discuss their problem.
Method 3 of 3: Say it Anonymously
Step 1. Leave a note anonymous
This is the least straightforward option, which may lead the person to wonder who left the note in the first place, but if you formulate your thought in polite terms, you will have achieved your goal. Make sure you leave the note in a place where no one else can accidentally read it, as it would unnecessarily embarrass the person.
Step 2. Have her find a packet of chewing gum or a breath freshener kit
Leaving chewing gum, mints, or an oral hygiene kit that includes a toothbrush, mouthwash, and tongue scraper is a great way to make the person aware of their bad breath problem anonymously. Leave it in your drawer, on your desk, in your car or wherever you can find it in a confidential way, perhaps wrapped as a gift with a nice card.
Step 3. Send an anonymous email
Bad breath is so common that there are many sites that allow you to email someone about their bad breath along with advice on dealing with the problem, all anonymously. It is a great way not only to make the person aware of the problem, but also to provide them with useful information to solve it promptly. Try one of the following sites or search for others!
- https://www.therabreath.com/tellafriend.asp
- https://nooffenseoranything.com/badbreath.html
- https://www.colgate.com/app/SIS/BadBreath/US/EN/Quiz.cwsp
Step 4. Look for someone to say it for you
While technically not "anonymous" because someone is saying something directly, this can be a good way for you to remain anonymous in this situation, which is ideal if you try to tell your boss or someone who you don't know well. By asking a friend or relative to tell him about the problem, you can help solve the problem without any mishap.
Advice
- If the person's bad breath is not chronic and is not extremely unbearable, consider letting it go and gloss over it as it is unlikely to recur.
- If you know the person well, telling them directly that they have bad breath is best; if it's just an acquaintance, try one of the more indirect methods.
- Usually, bad breath is caused by poor oral hygiene, food intake, tobacco products and dry mouth, but remember that it can also be caused by certain medications or by conditions of the mouth, nose and throat, which can be a topic. delicate to deal with for the subject in question.
