Is bad breath the most unforgivable social faux pas?

Just wondering because I got a press release from GoSMILE that says "90% of people between 16 and 40 believe having bad breath is 'the worst social mistake one can make.'" I can think of more offensive things than that but I'll admit that realizing you've been schmoozing with stinky breath is pretty embarrassing. The thing is, I'm not a big fan of mint-flavored stuff. I can tolerate toothpaste but I hate intensely minty mouthwash or gum. Lately I'm into this fruity, citrus-y breath spray the GoSMILE rep sent me called Elixir Good-For-You Breath Freshener. I honestly haven't considered using breath spray since high school when Binaca was all the rage. But Elixir is like a sweet tasting, grown-up version of that. I don't worry about my breath constantly but it's nice to know that when I don't feel like chomping on my usual Orbit Bubblemint gum, I have a good, non-minty alternative. Do you agree that bad breath is an unforgivable social faux pas?

--Baze

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Comments 1-2 of 2

Posted by springtime Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:00am PDT

Bad breath is usually from poor dental hygiene and can cause far worse problems. Regular trips to the dentist for deep cleaning a toothbrush cannot reach can take care of the problem. Gums and sprays are effective for just a short while and then the bad breath is back again.

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Posted by Mysterious Gryphon Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:26am PDT

I honestly don't tend to get close enough to strangers to notice if they're smelly or not - it has to be hot-day-on-the-bus smelly for me to really take note. That said, healthy, clean people should not have too much odor. If I have Arabic food or lots of garlic at lunch, I usually pop a piece of sugar-free gum before heading back in to the office. Otherwise, I just trust in my own hygeine.

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