GroupFitness Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 I am uber sensitive to breath. Any kind of mouth odor makes me want to puke which is why I brush my teeth 3 times a day and floss everyday. When I'm not chewing gum, I'm gargling with mouthwash. Which I know is probably overkill and weird but I've just always been like that. I've been with my boyfriend for 2 years now and we recently started living together but somehow his breath never really bothered me until we moved in together..probably because I have to smell it all the time now:p. I mean, it's not kicking or anything like that, you can't smell it from a distance but up close, it does smell bad more often than not. It's probably because he brushes for like 5 seconds and NEVER flosses. Uses mouthwash infrequently too. I don't want to lecture him on proper brushing techniques, I mean a 30 year old man should know how to properly brush his teeth, you learn that at 5 years old. My heightened senses makes me notice his breath all the time and my urge to move in for a kiss instantly decreases. Sometimes I suck it up and french kiss anyway but it feels like I can taste his breath in my mouth and there is no faster libido killer than that, trust me. I've brought it up at times, playfully, by saying "honey, let's use mouthwash so we can make out". He obliges but I don't want to make it a constant request. I've requested it often enough that he's said I was being mean. But I carefully explained that I'm just ultra sensitive to mouth odor. I always make sure my breath smells fresh, I mean it's not perfect, but at least decent enough so that when the urge to swap spit strikes, I'm ready. And it's not that hard to do really. A quick gaggle with non alcoholic mouthwash goes a long way. Obviously, I can't expect him to be as anal retentive as me about mouth cleanlingness but how do I reconcile that whiff I get when he is close to my face?
RRyan65 Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 Flossing for sure. Another well kept secret is a tongue scraper! Holy ****, you'd be surprised how effective that little thing is. For years I thought I was achieving the same effect by brushing my tongue, but I had no idea!
Tomcat33 Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 It is the not flossing. In fact we should be flossing after every single meal, that is the key. It is not what sits on your teeth that collects the bad odour it is what collects between them and gets tucked under the gums, hence the funky smell. I am with you on this one I am hyper sensitive of smell and oral hygiene too. I keep floss even in my desk. Make a suggestion that he start flossing more regularly, not to mention if he doesn't he can be a good candidate for cavities and tartar build up which also leads to root canals and worse yet loss of teeth, that would be the worst thing of all to lose teeth. PS Heart problems and heart attacks are also linked to bacteria collected in the mouth and poor oral hygiene
MSUE Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 no flossing but you have some OCD thing going on with it too...bad combo
westrock Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 What's his diet like? Sometimes the issue has to do with poor digestion of gaseous or spicey foods.
You'reasian Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 Remind him to floss regularly and use mouthwash as well. Yeah, brushing ones teeth should take longer than a few secs.
Trojan John Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 I think that smell comes from the other end of the *ahem* spectrum. A diet heavy in meat protein can cause bad breath as well.
RRyan65 Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 A diet heavy in meat protein can cause bad breath as well. Of course. And who doesn't floss after a good steak? Her BF!
d0ll Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 just tell him straight out that you think he should go to the dentist & take better care of his teeth .. he probably needs a cleaning.
socialight Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 i agree. bring the hammer down. seriously look him in the eye and tell him it's a deal breaker for you and it's driving him nuts. Make sure you have his attention. This is definately fixable.
zenith Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 I've been with my boyfriend for 2 years now and we recently started living together but somehow his breath never really bothered me until we moved in together..probably because I have to smell it all the time now:p. Interesting point... perhaps it's not that you have to smell it all the time, it's partly due to your psychology you said it, it NEVER bothered you UNTIL you guys moved in together... so up until now, you assumed he had good oral hygiene practice, UNTIL you moved in together and you SAW that he doesn't brush and floss enough (to your standard) subconsciously you're thinking his breath is bad... even worse than it actually is; Even though you brush, floss and gargle non-stop, people's breath smells (in varied severity)... plus mouthwash doesn't do much, it's the menthol content that gives you the freshness feeling, due to its anesthetic quality.. it doesn't completely eliminate bacteria mind you, dog/cat oral cavity has less bacteria than human's (you should be kissing your pets more often) but still, you should talk to him about taking care of his oral hygiene
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