Bad Breath

[User3billion]

I suppose this is a bit of a WWYD??

DH has horrendous bad breath, so much so I can't face toward him in bed as it makes me feel physically sick.

I've tried mentioning it to him, in various ways but he just gets really defensive (I tried to be kind & didn't just say that his breath is vile & makes me want to wretch).

Aside from it putting me off wanting to get close/intimate with him, I'm also concerned there could be an underlying issue. I don't think it's a personal hygiene thing as he brushes his teeth etc and he doesn't drink coffee (has decaf tea occasionally).

Any help suggestions please? Please be kind.

Does he go to the dentist and hygienist regulary

Ask him to floss. If the floss smells that's the area of his mouth where the bad breath odor is coming from. A week or so of regular flossing should make a vast improvement

If he brushes twice a day, flosses and uses a mouthwash and still has a problem, could it be post-nasal drip? Does he have a snotty/blocked nose? Or it could be a throat infection or something stuck in his tonsils.

Tonsil stones? They are the work of the devil the stench is appalling

And yes, obviously important he sees the dentist for regular check ups. Does he use an electric toothbrush?

As above, if he’s tried flossing daily, using interdental brushes, mouthwash etc and it’s still bad, I’d definitely go to the dentist. If he has large tonsils it could well be tonsiloliths (tonsil stones), which are the worst-smelling thing ever to have been created.

Has he always had bb or is this a recent thing?

Does he complain of a sore throat? Tonsil stones cause pain but are likely the cause of his bb. I get them all the time. They appeared overnight. I have to pull them out of my tonsil with my finger to remove. -(- Sorry tmi) I also use difflam throat spray to clean my tonsils out daily. This seems to release the tonsil stones somewhat. If hes got the same problem then until the stones come out his breath will continue to smell like death. I can taste them now so know when to remove. If you have a look at the back of his throat you will be able to see white or yellow chunks in his tonsils. He might be best visiting the gp for advice to start. The only other way to remove is with antibiotics. They drop out after a couple of days on them. Good luck explaining to him op. Honestly my breath is 100% better from keeping on top of this problem. Removal of tonsils can be done where someone has persistent infections from them but it's very extreme for an adult apparently.

Thanks for the replies. He uses interdental brushes (they're the ones that look like tiny, bottle brushes aren't they?)

As far as I know he had his tonsils removed as a kid so not sure on that one.

He does struggle with a "blocked" nose, he can only really breathe through one nostril.

Will ask him about whether his throat is sore though, it could open up the conversation again.