Bad breath, or in dental terms known as halitosis, is such a big problem, especially when you need to do conversation with a lot of people every day  or even just having a casual chit chat with your friends. Bad breath is caused by the bacteria that live and grow in our mouth which brings an odorous smell. It is the sulfur compounds produced by these bacteria that causes your breath to smell bad.

Addressing someone who has bad breath can be an awkward scenario in itself; imagine how much more that can be if that someone is one of your close friends? That might be a difficult task to do.

Having enough courage to talk about such awkward topics can be very hard for you, but just to think of what benefits your friend could have after that. Do you want some stranger to do it in a way that they hurt the feelings of your friend? Come to think of it.

Here are some tips to use in addressing your friends about his/her bad breath;

First and most important is that you must find a private time and place wherein no one could overheard what the two of you are talking about. And then you have to be clear and honest with your words. First thing to discuss, ask your friend if he/she was aware of having a bad breath (use kindful words in doing so). And of course you should let your friend know that there are dental and simple ways to prevent such problems.

If you don’t want to crack such bad news to your friend verbally, you can do it in a passive way. Offer a mint gum or any candy that could freshen up his breath but if they won’t accept the gum, say in a sensitive way that he needs it this time. 

We think telling your friend directly is the best and effective way to help him solve his problem. It will give him the idea that he has really a bad breath. Unlike doing it in a passive way, there are chances that your friend didn’t get what you meant by giving him a mint and it doesn’t solve his problem anyway.

If your friend appreciates the way you talk to him, you can also suggest seeing a dentist on a regular basis in order to have proper dental care and to help him solve his bad breath. Furthermore, you should indicate to your friend that in some cases, bad breath can be a sign of something more complex than a dental problem but that they ought to see a dentist first to rule out dental and oral problems. Last but not least, tell your friend that 75% to 85% of adults in the United States have some form of gum disease, a common cause of bad breath so they know they are not alone. The important thing is to seek professional advice.