[Dan the man]

There was one kid who sat next to me in Spanish class in high school that had really bad breath when he came close. I didnt say anything.

An ex-manager I had used to have bad breathe as well. more than once I picked up on it. She used to eat a lot of yogurt and for whatever reason I never ate yogurt after that as I associated it with bad breathe. But I mean it was my boss so I wasn't gonna say anything.



But one guy I was talking with yesterday I noticed had bad breathe. He's actually very friendly but yeah it was hard not to think about it. If I talk to him again and his breathe is bad would you consider it rude to say anything?

 

[WillYouStopDave]

I don't know if it's exactly rude but I guess it would make for a pretty awkward moment.

 

[Jenna]

If they are someone I know and talk to frequently, I might mention something like "What the hell did you eat? Garlic?" I might have a hard time telling a stranger tho.
It's hard to tell people when they smell bad too. I had a friend in college that always had a body odor smell. I wanted to ask her if she ever uses deodorant but was afraid to offend her 😂

 

[valina]

If you don't know how the person is going to react or if hurts their feelings or if it makes them uncomfortable, I wouldn't do it. If you are close and you can tell each other such things then it's ok.
I think some people have a case of bad breath that won't just go away with brushing their teeth.

 

[JH1983]

I can't imagine ever being comfortable saying that to someone.

 

[SplendidBob]

I've had to do this with girlfriends / dating people. Like 3x.

It's always taken horrifically. Really bad reactions and it creates paranoia and a lot of distress.

My advice, don't do it unless you have no other choice.

 

[Memories of Silence]

It is rude, and it might not always be caused by something they can help/know the cause of. If you wouldn’t want anyone to tell you that you stink, then it isn’t a good idea to tell someone else that they do. They probably already know.

If you eat a breath mint and offer them one, it might help. That is what I've done when I had to.

 

[Paul]

If you can, leave them an anonymous note. There's a good chance they're unaware of it -- people can't smell themselves well, especially breath -- and would fix the problem if they knew, but they get defensive if told directly. It's a shame if their life and career suffer because nobody ever tells them.

Or just leave a breath mint on their desk and hope it gets the point across.

 

[Dane]

If the person was my friend I would probably let them know as gently as possible. Something like "Your breath smells a little off today." If it were me I would definitely rather have a friend tell me rather then go around all day with bad breath.

I wouldn't say anything to strangers, though.

 

[WillYouStopDave]

If the person was my friend I would probably let them know as gently as possible. Something like "Your breath smells a little off today."

 

[Cletis]

If they have chronically bad breath then they most likely have cavities and/or gum disease. Only a dentist can help at that point. You might try to subtly "encourage" them to make a dental appointment.

 

[baggypepperowl]

No, I don't think it's rude to tell someone they have bad breath. It's important to be honest and direct in order to help the person address the issue.

 

[Blue Dino]

I had a friend throughout elementary school to middle school who will reek of bad odor every so often. Bad breathe and body odor and everything. I was born with a smelling disorder, so I cannot pick up on majority of smells in general, thus I guess I never really notice his odor. He looks clean, though but would smell according to many. A lot of people will pick on him and plead for him to brush his teeth and to bathe. So he was known as the smelly kid in school. Everyone would stay away from him during what many will called his "smell spells". I felt bad for him during those times.

He tells us he showers multiple times daily and brush his teeth and floss few times daily, and he has no idea why he smells. Eventually sometime during his freshmen year in high school, he told us a doctor realize his odor was due to some stomach infection or gastrointestinal overgrowth of something. Maybe candida or some sort of yeast infection perhaps. I think once he got that treated, I never recalled him ever having odor problems again.

Junior and senior year, he joined the swim team and he became a swim jock. I haven't talked to him since. So I assume his odor problems were solved, or the constant chlorine exposure masked the smell or killed whatever was causing his odor.

 

[either/or]

It depends on the circumstances I suppose. If its an ongoing thing then no. Like if you have to talk to them every day and they are disgusting then yah I think it's okay to say something. But if it's a one off incident, then just let bygones be bygones. I once had a boss who always had gross salad breath. Thankfully I didn't need to talk to her often. What was worse was when someone would make a smelly lunch in the microwave in the breakroom.

 

[JD555]

The main problem is what if it's caused by something they can't change about themselves? I knew someone who took medication and the tablets made their breath smell. And i couldn't say anything because they needed the meds. So yeah it's one of those tricky social situations. I personally wouldn't say anything... unless he one day says something about it, even then be tactful like "i always brush my teeth after eating. Works really Well/i carry gum blah bla blah"

 

[Tetragammon]

As someone who has had chronic bad breath all my life I'd say yes, it's rude to tell me.

I mean it's one thing if it's just bad hygiene and they really need to brush their teeth. But for some people it's genetic. I can brush my teeth three times a day AND chew gum or eat breath mints or whatever, but those are all temporary solutions; I've always had bad breath and it always comes back no matter what I do. And my dad was the same way; sometimes when we'd play cards together I could smell his breath across the table and it was BAD. It's kind of like telling a person that they're ugly or fat or something -- it's demeaning and, in some cases at least, it's not something that they can change.

And I'm still shocked by the number of people who think it's fine to insult someone. But I guess it's part of why I want nothing to do with people; they're just so rude.

 

[SplendidBob]

If you can, leave them an anonymous note. There's a good chance they're unaware of it -- people can't smell themselves well, especially breath -- and would fix the problem if they knew, but they get defensive if told directly. It's a shame if their life and career suffer because nobody ever tells them.

Or just leave a breath mint on their desk and hope it gets the point across.

Good answer here.

Also, I just noticed your avatar is Scorpius but on holiday?

 

[ASASUser]

There was one kid who sat next to me in Spanish class in high school that had really bad breath when he came close. I didnt say anything.

An ex-manager I had used to have bad breathe as well. more than once I picked up on it. She used to eat a lot of yogurt and for whatever reason I never ate yogurt after that as I associated it with bad breathe. But I mean it was my boss so I wasn't gonna say anything.



But one guy I was talking with yesterday I noticed had bad breathe. He's actually very friendly but yeah it was hard not to think about it. If I talk to him again and his breathe is bad would you consider it rude to say anything?

I would probably say yes it would be rude to tell someone that they have bad breath unless it is your husband or wife, son or daughter. If you’re saying it to your husband or wife you may want to say it in a joking way but if it is your son or daughter you may want to tell them they need to brush their teeth.

As far as a non-immediate family member like husband or wife, Son or daughter I would probably recommend that you don’t say anything. if this is a friend that you talk about serious issues where they keep what you talk about private then maybe but still I would do it in a very dignified respectful way and do it where other people aren’t around. Again I personally would recommend you don’t say anything.

 

[SmartCar]

There was one kid who sat next to me in Spanish class in high school that had really bad breath when he came close. I didnt say anything.

An ex-manager I had used to have bad breathe as well. more than once I picked up on it. She used to eat a lot of yogurt and for whatever reason I never ate yogurt after that as I associated it with bad breathe. But I mean it was my boss so I wasn't gonna say anything.



But one guy I was talking with yesterday I noticed had bad breathe. He's actually very friendly but yeah it was hard not to think about it. If I talk to him again and his breathe is bad would you consider it rude to say anything?

Hmm 🤔 looks like you have quite the sensitive nose, but I agree there are those who just have a very powerful odor. Honestly if it's that terrible & you have to interact with that person on a continuous basis, then yes it is obligatory to be honest. But you can be polite about it, maybe let him know that he has a strong odor & ask if he ate anything in particular. Just be as nice as possible. Because if it were me, I wouldn't be able to take it.

 

[Canadian Brotha]

All about how not if you do…