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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Oral hygiene at work

5 replies

SpoonBaloon · 08/01/2026 19:56

I really hope this isn’t TMI but I’m wondering if this is a thing everyone experiences or if it’s just me.

I brush my teeth and floss regularly, scrape my tongue and generally take care of my oral health. I chew gum when I’m out and about and use mouthwash before I go out, sometimes taking a small bottle with me in my bag. I get my teeth cleaned at the hygienist twice a year and have no plaque or any real dental problems.

But after a day at work I feel like my mouth and breath is absolutely disgusting. I drink a couple of Nespresso coffees, the odd cup of tea and eat lunch during the eight hours I’m in the office. I also drink a lot of water to keep hydrated. But when I’m on my way home, all I can think about is brushing my teeth (which feel disgusting) and freshening up my mouth.

I’m relatively precious about smells and I’m generally paranoid that I have bad breath so I try not to speak too much in the afternoon, or at least hold back when I do speak. I feel like mouthwash doesn’t really make a difference during the day and instead I really need to brush and scrape.

Is it just me who feels like this or is it a universal problem? I work with women who are very outgoing and they don’t seem to be any less outgoing as the day progresses. I’m sure I’m not one of those who walks around inside a cloud of halitosis, but all the same I feel like I don’t want people to get too close.

I have no problems when I’m out and about in my own time. It’s literally just when I’ve been to work.

OP posts:
Newmeagain · 08/01/2026 23:59

Just give your teeth a quick brush during your lunch break.

Namechangedforthis25 · 09/01/2026 00:01

Or buy a fresh breath spray and give your mouth a quick spritz

thats what I do

Mottledpaper68821 · 09/01/2026 00:06

Honestly I think it’s the mouthwash op! I have no dental or medical knowledge whatsoever so don’t quote me on this, but I think I read it kills the good bacteria as well as the bad? I don’t think dentists recommend it any more.

WhatInTheFreshHellIsThis · 09/01/2026 00:15

Do you have a close friend that you could confide in and ask them if you smell? I wonder if you don’t have a problem at all and you are just anxious?

I had a friend once who really really worried about his breath. He was always chewing gum, cleaned his teeth all the time and was generally worried his breath smelt. It didn’t smell bad at all but he didn’t believe me.

He told me a kid at school once told him his breath stank and so he’d spent the rest of his life being mortified about it.

Did someone tell you your breath was bad when you were young/ fragile?

justpassmethemouse · 09/01/2026 00:32

Mottledpaper68821 · 09/01/2026 00:06

Honestly I think it’s the mouthwash op! I have no dental or medical knowledge whatsoever so don’t quote me on this, but I think I read it kills the good bacteria as well as the bad? I don’t think dentists recommend it any more.

Any kind of rinsing after brushing isn’t recommended, because the fluoride needs to stay on your teeth for longer to be absorbed. IIRC mouthwash is better to be used for freshen-ups during the day.

*Not a dentist though

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