Should You Tell Your Husband or Wife About Their Bad Breath?

Enquiring Minds want to know... we want to know.

Here’s a chance for YOU to give the advice…

Question:

Should you tell your spouse when they have bad breath? What if you are out in public?

Speak up in the comments.

Read more in: Enquiring Minds
by The Donkey and The Wife
July 17, 2008

  1. 15 Responses to “Should You Tell Your Husband or Wife About Their Bad Breath?”

  2. Just say, “hey do you want a piece of gum?”. It works for dating too… ;-)

    By John on Jul 17, 2008

  3. Also, make sure that you get one even if you don’t need it. Just, so it doesn’t look like your whipping it out just for them.

    By John on Jul 17, 2008

  4. Gum doesn’t always work. I have offered it to my husband and he just said, “no thank you”

    By Britt on Jul 17, 2008

  5. Now I’m going to worry that any time someone offers me gum or a mint that they think I have bad breath!!! Offering me gum wouldn’t work because I never chew it. Nor do I eat those little mints.

    I would want my spouse to tell me in a quiet, gentle way if I had bad breath, and I would figure out my own way of dealing with it.

    By Jane on Jul 17, 2008

  6. Handing him some gum, I just quietly tell my husband, “Here, you NEED some gum, honey.” He does the same for me. It’s one of those pre-arranged things we have set in place to avoid awkward and potentially embarrassing social situations, along with signals and word phrases for booger-alerts, stuff in teeth, and wanting to leave early.

    By Bibby on Jul 17, 2008

  7. My husband and I are both just the direct type. We say “your breath really stinks” or variations depending on the level of smell. If other people were around, I’d whisper it to him or hand signal it so he’d know.

    By Shannon on Jul 17, 2008

  8. Here is a subtle but effective line I use:
    “Dang dragon breath! You just burnt my nose hairs with that funk. Go suck on an air freshener or something.”

    By Mr. Mustachio on Jul 17, 2008

  9. HECK YES!!! Especially in public! Wouldn’t you want to know if your breath stunk before you spoke to someone else?!?

    By daiseymae on Jul 17, 2008

  10. number one, if you are married and can’t tell your spouse they have bad breath you have way bigger problems then the imidiate one. Number two, YES!

    By Kairy on Jul 17, 2008

  11. I’m not married, but I appreciate when my friends or family members let me know that my breath stinks. Though I usually am not the one with the problem, since I’m a gumaholic.

    By seven on Jul 17, 2008

  12. And amen to Kairy.

    By seven on Jul 17, 2008

  13. Yes, I would tell him and he would do the same for me. I would never embarass him in front of others while telling him.

    Now if we’re alone, that’s another story. “Hey Honey’ your toothbrush is calling you.”

    By Employee No. 3699 on Jul 18, 2008

  14. Wait until well after the honeymoon.

    By grumpy on Jul 18, 2008

  15. Honesty works; it’s nothing about which to be embarrassed.

    Besides, spouses get more kissing if they smell good; it’s within their best interests to always ensure that. :)

    Barbara

    By Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach on Jul 19, 2008

  16. This is a really difficult one. I think I would go with the gum, I think.

    By Cath Lawson on Jul 20, 2008

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