Social Stigma of Bad Breath

People who suffer from bad breath know the disturbing effect it can have on their personal lives. It can lead to social ridicule and ongoing embarrassment, and impair social and sexual relationships.

It can also affect occupational relationships.

As the news media reported in late 2007, a Manhattan doorman was suspended from work on three separate occasions because he allegedly had bad breath – despite brushing his teeth and using breath mints.

Because we live in a hygiene-conscious culture, bad breath just isn’t socially acceptable. According to public opinions surveys, people form negative images of persons with bad breath.

Nobody wants to be a social misfit; therefore, it’s imperative that we take steps to stop bad breath. To ignore or do nothing about this problem is blatantly uncivil and unprofessional.

Unfortunately, many people who have bad breath aren’t even aware of it. That’s because our nose tends to filter out and ignore background odors – including our own bad breath.

Another reason people may not realize they have bad breath is that their friends and family don’t want to embarrass them or they just lack the courage to broach the subject, so they don’t say anything.

Since you may not be aware that you have bad breath , it’s important to pay attention to how people act around you. Ask yourself – do people tend to:

§ Keep their distance from you during conversation?
§ Grimace or turn their heads away when you are speaking?
§ Come up with all kinds of reasons why they can’t be with you?
§ Suddenly whisper among themselves when you approach them?
§ Kiss you on the cheek (instead of the lips)?