Articles on Halitosis | Topic: halitosis
by Delia H. Jensen
Sometimes it can be hard to confront someone about a flaw that person has without hurting that person's feelings. This goes for telling friends or loved ones about their halitosis problem.
There is a right and a wrong way to approach someone about any kind of problem, no matter what it is. Furthermore, no matter how you word the confrontation, some people are bound to be hurt by it and take it personally. However, if you use tact, you will be successful in getting your message across. Communication about your buddy or family member's halitosis can be successful if thought is put into what you say.
When confronting a friend or loved one, remember there are things that you definitely should not say, no matter how direct and to the point they are. The reason why is sometimes the truth hurts bad enough that it may be better to watch how you present it. Therefore, watch what you say. The following are a list of things you should NOT say (unless you know for sure you can get away with it without hurting that person's feelings):
Your breath stinks!
You stink.
Your mouth stinks.
When is the last time you brushed your teeth?
Who taught you how to brush your teeth?
Brushed your teeth lately?
The above statements in themselves are not necessarily bad to say to someone if you know they can handle that kind of direct confrontation. However, most people are extremely sensitive about physical flaws that could affect them socially. Sometimes a simple confrontation could be misconstrued as a verbal attack, or seem overtly sarcastic depending on the tone of voice a person uses. Therefore, tact should be used.
| Bit of History |
The sick man is taken away by the institution that takes charge not of the individual, but of his illness, an isolated object transformed or eliminated by technicians devoted to the defense of health the way others are attached to the defense of law and order or tidiness.
| —Michel de Certeau (1925–1986) |
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The following is a sample script you could possibly use to talk to a friend or loved one about halitosis:
Can I talk to you about something? (Wait for response: They may answer, "yes" "no" or "what?")
Did you ever have a problem with halitosis? (Wait for response: They may ask you what halitosis is or answer "yes" or "no").
Depending upon how the person responds to your question, you have a variety of ways to start the confrontation. If the person already knows about the halitosis condition, and is open to talking about it, this is the easiest scenario to deal with. Also, if the person is not sure what halitosis is, and is still open to learning about it, you will have an easy time talking to this person about it as well. Furthermore, as long as they are willing to talk about this condition, then you can proceed with your confrontation. If they are not willing to talk about it, then you are best leaving it alone, unless you know they are complaining to you about any pains in the mouth or other serious dental problem.
Another aspect of using tact when confronting someone about an uncomfortable issue such as halitosis would be timing. If you can see that a person is unwilling to hear what you have to say, then perhaps that person would be willing to listen some other time. Another technique to use is to describe halitosis is if it was a medical condition, and not necessarily the fault of the person. This will alleviate the feeling of hopelessness, and blame on the person with the halitosis (a.k.a. bad breath) condition. Besides, halitosis is medically treated in some cases as well. You can tell this to your friend.
Most people will be embarrassed about the subject of halitosis, but they will be relieved once they find a solution. If you think you can help someone who has extreme chronic bad breath, then you can help that person recover. This will help you feel as if you made a difference in that person's life. Furthermore, as embarrassing as this can be for the person with the halitosis condition, most likely in months to come that person will thank you for bringing the problem along with plausible solutions to that person's attention.
Once you have established with the person you have chosen to confront about halitosis that it is a medical condition, then you can also gently tell them ideas that dentists give to people to help cure it at home. When doing so you can use the tone as if you are presenting home remedies, so to speak.
You may want to start off by making the statement that flossing is a pain in the neck and is something most people (yourself included, you should say) hate to do, and then explain how flossing helps reduce the chance of extreme bad breath known otherwise as halitosis. When you intervene in a person's life in a way such as this you are likely to have helped that person out immensely.
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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Helpful Ways to Tell your Buddy about Their Halitosis" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by HealthExerciseSports.com. |
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