Finding yourself in a situation where you have to carry on a conversation with someone who has bad breath is terrible. Conversing with a person who has bad breath makes us feel nauseous and disgusted. That is why we may not be aware that our facial expression may be embarrassing to the one we are talking to.

The putrid odour elicits almost involuntary responses. This is a very difficult situation to deal with and many people want to simply get away from the offensive odour as quickly as possible. Bad breath is especially nasty for others to deal with but it is important that is dealt with on all levels both personally and as a friend, relative or co-worker of a person with the problem.

Personal Duty

What can an individual do to personally try to solve this problem? Caring for your teeth and practising good oral hygiene helps prevent bad breath, and is the personal responsibility of every individual. Making sure that others do not suffer from another person's laziness and lack of personal hygiene is just common courtesy. The fact should be recognized by the peoples having the problem of bad breath, and they should take care of the problem in the best way they can. Help of professional doctor or dentist should be taken, if they find it difficult to handle the problem on their own.

Advise Others

In a situation where you have to speak or deal with someone who has bad breath, it is essential that the issue be addressed. In some cases the bad breath could be the side effect of some health problem, and the person may be unaware of the smell as well as the ill health. A person can save the life of another person simply by letting them know that they have bad breath. Although it is hard to initiate, this conversation is very important.

The easiest way is to offer a piece of gum or mint to the person to address the situation, and then tell them politely to consult a physician to recognize what their problem is. Or a person can broach the subject of bad breath, explain its serious implications, and then offer the mint or gum. This will typically help people recognize their problem. However, some people don't understand subtle. For these people you must be direct, and tell them that they must do something about their bad breath. It may be difficult for you to do, but you have a personal responsibility to do it.