Halitosis, otherwise known as bad breath. Everyone is affected by it from time to time and we take care of it in our own way. But what to do when it belongs to someone else?
One of the simplest methods is to offer the other person a mint or stick of gum as you help yourself to the same. This does require that you be in the habit of carrying these items yourself, but it also insures that you are able to refresh your own breath as needed.
- If need be, switch it up and use yourself as an example by being overly concerned about your own breath; the other person will usually follow your lead.
But what if the other person seems to have a chronic bad breath problem? What if you spend quite a bit of time with him or her? To a large degree, your relationship with the other person will dictate your actions. Is there someone who has a closer relationship with this person? Would it be more tactful if he were to have the conversation instead of you?
If you feel that you should say something, keep in mind that you may see embarrassment, humiliation or even anger in response. It depends on the person being told, the way they are told, and the person doing the telling.
You may wish to approach the topic by asking the person if he has a few minutes to talk; remember, timing is important! Kindly say that you don't want to upset or offend -- to remind that you are doing this out of consideration, not cruelty -- before delivering the news about the offensive breath, or that their breath isn't as "pleasant as it used to be".
- Halitosis can be a medical condition and not necessarily the fault
of the person.
- Perhaps there is a health or dental problem?
- Upset stomachs sometimes cause bad breath.
However, no matter what the situation, you DON'T want to:
- Blurt out something along the lines of "Your breath really smells rotten!"
- Treat it in a joking manner.
- Announce to the whole word that "Sam" has deadly breath.
Alerting someone to a bad breath problem can be so awkward there are even
online services now that will do it for you, allowing you to remain
anonymous!
|
|
Remember...
Telling someone that they have bad breath is not an easy thing to do. Embarrassment will be natural reaction. Keep in mind that tactfully making someone aware of this problem is actually a kindness, not an insensitive gesture, especially when they have no idea that they have a problem.
|
