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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Original poster

Dh bad breath

34 replies

Farmerswife4life1984 · 09/08/2017 21:08

How do I nicely tell him his breath is getting worse . He eats healthy and rarely drinks alcohol (once a month maybe if that) . I only notice it when lying next to him in bed cuddled up close but it really turns my stomach . I don't smell it when In close proximity like a car etc just when we are cuddling . He always wants to kiss n cuddle on a morning but I just can't and feel so guilty about the reason why . Have you encountered this before and does your dh have bad morning breath ? Also it's bad during the night when I cuddle up close to him . Is it normal that breath smells on a morning ? I wud never kiss dh straight away on a morning and always make sure I have a drink Of water or juice as I hate the thought that my breath may be bad on a morning ? I guess everyone's is on a morning but a quick drink rectified it . My dh never takes a drink to bed tho and his oral hygiene i.e. teeth brushing is sporadic (somedays he doesn't do it , some days he does ) I just don't know how to broach this sensitive subject

OP posts:
Uiscebeatha85 · 09/08/2017 21:15

Maybe he has tonsil stones? It's a tricky one to address. Maybe suggest you both brush your teeth before kissing in the morning? Buy a heavy duty mouthwash like Ultradex
as well and leave it somewhere obvious Grin

ElinorRigby · 09/08/2017 21:16

I'd assume it's the lack of teeth cleaning that is the problem. Bits of whatever he ate the night before will be lurking in the gaps between teeth and be busy breaking down and releasing associated odours.

It's also quite likely if he's not regularly brushing his teeth
he has gum disease. This link is fairly horrific.

www.therabreath.com/gum-disease-bad-breath.html

Perhaps you could show him the link and encourage him to go to a dentist and/or dental hygienist - for the sake of his own health..

LynetteScavo · 09/08/2017 21:19

I'm actually shocked someone dies this brush their teeth twice a day. You. Red to tell him to get brushing.

LynetteScavo · 09/08/2017 21:20

Sorry for awful typos...I was a bit shocked. Blush

RTKangaMummy · 09/08/2017 21:22

Could be something in mouth but
It could also be stomach acid - get it checked out
One thing he could do is keep diary to what foods make it worse like tomatoes
Anyway try taking gaviscon before going to bed if that stops it get him to gp.

DadOctave · 09/08/2017 22:35

Got to brush teeth twice a day every day at least. I'm guilty of this and it does affect my breath.

Does he drink coffee? Coffee + sugar is terrible for giving you poo-y breath at close range...Especially if you don't clean your teeth!

(Guilty as charged)

crunched · 09/08/2017 22:40

I thought it was normal for 'morning breath' to be a bit less than fresh. Even my DC have breath that is a bit, well, stale? first thing upon waking. I believe our dental hygiene is pretty spot on.

Original poster
Farmerswife4life1984 · 09/08/2017 22:42

He drinks coffee with 2 sugars . I'd say 4 cups a day . I have mentioned about his teeth cleaning habits (lack of) and he isn't remotely bothered ? He says toothpaste makes him feel sick ? He also eats a lot of sweets

OP posts:
Migraleve · 09/08/2017 22:43

Morning breath is normal. Bad breath is quite a common symptom of sporadic oral hygiene.

Not sure why you can't just say to him 'your breath smells, clean your teeth please'

macnab · 09/08/2017 22:49

You really need to tell him, not only does his bad breath put you off being intimate with him but he could well have gum disease which can lead to all sorts of problems if left untreated and ultimately tooth loss! In this case you need to be cruel to be kind, take a big breath and tell him - see what I did there Wink

DadOctave · 09/08/2017 23:11

I would definitely say it's a combo of the lack of brushing + coffee and sweets.

Basically all the plaque are digesting the sugar, and well plaque is bacteria and like all living things has to excrete waste products.

I'm no dentist btw, just guilty in previous life of this pattern and my breath would stink.

Is it mint toothpaste? I know mint makes my ex feel very ill, so we use children's fruity toothpastes and others imported from overseas, you can get a lemon one from New Zealand which is amazing. There's also baking soda toothpaste and herbal toothpastes he could try. I quite like the Aniseed ones but too similar to mint for my ex.

insurmuntable · 09/08/2017 23:15

Has he been tested for diabetes?

Aquamarine1029 · 10/08/2017 02:06

Tell him his breath stinks. If you're married you should be able to discuss anything.

sweetchilli77 · 10/08/2017 06:33

My husband is massively conscious about cleaning his teeth however lately his breath has been rank.

He thinks the problem is his wisdom teeth. He uses cordysol mouth wash which has helped loads.

Saying this, we are both comfortable in our marriage also where we can tell each other such things like have a stinky breath!!

Fathersyros · 10/08/2017 07:17

Fak1n diabetes and dietary problems?!?! Morning bad breath is so normal that it's weird not to have it - just google it!

Just tell the bloke that you feel weird kissing before you've both brushed your teeth.

ThinkIlikeit · 10/08/2017 07:21

He is being very disrespectful towards you by expecting you to kiss him when he doesn't bother cleaning his teeth.

IrritatedUser1960 · 10/08/2017 07:21

My ex had appalling stinking breath, I couldn't bear it, I sent him to the dentist on pain of death and he had a large build up of plaque on his back teeth that wasn't immediately visible.
He then went to the hygeinist every 3 months and the problem stopped. It's really important to go to the dentist regulary.

IrritatedUser1960 · 10/08/2017 07:23

Sorry but I just came right out with it, I can't stand bad breath and there is no excuse for a grown man not brushing his teeth twice a day. What must his friends and colleagues think.

Teddy7878 · 10/08/2017 07:27

My OH had bad breath sometimes. He smokes, drinks a lot of tea and has a ridiculously sweet tooth. He brushes his teeth twice a day but because he doesn't drink much water he often has a stale dehydration breath and it's pretty gross sometimes. We've not been together very long so it's quite an awkward conversation to have, but I think I'm just going to have to tell him! I'll probably do it in a playful way to begin with when we're cuddled up. And if he doesn't take the hint I'll have to just have a stern word

user1499333856 · 10/08/2017 07:52

I am now wondering what kind of dynamic I have with my DH.

'DH your breath stinks' DH goes to clean his teeth.

I guess we are just very direct. 🙄

Maria1982 · 10/08/2017 08:00

I had to tell my DP he had bad breath.
He was already brushing his teeth so we weren't sure what had caused the change.

Eventually (I had to tell him more than once!!) he started flossing. He had never needed to floss before but with age gums shrink a bit and now he does. Problem solved!!

Just tell him. Kindly rather than nastily,
but tell him.

Original poster
Farmerswife4life1984 · 10/08/2017 09:29

I can't smell his breath unless really close (intimately close ) so his colleagues and friends won't notice . He doesn't absolute stink even when standing 10 feet away like some people Iv met do (when we got married our vicars breath stunk and we both were nearly sick and still talk about it too this day) . I can talk about anything to my dh we are very close but I just find this a bit uncomfortable as I don't want to hurt his feelings . I do have a weird thing about smells and he never used to have this problem . Like I say it's only when he wants a morning cuddle . I always have to turn over and let him spoon me from behind and feel terrible about this . My breath is probably not the freshest on a morning but I always have a drink of water and clean my teeth straight away before my morning shower. I also always do my teeth religiously before bed which he sees me do and I often hope he will follow suit . I ask him why he doesn't do his teeth and he says it makes him feels sick ? He loves sweets and chocolate . Being a farmer he is on the go all day and it's often late at night when he gets home so he has his shower then just collapses into bed without doing his teeth . He has to be up at 530 am to get the dairy cows in for morning milking and some morning he will do his teeth some he won't so as not to wake us (en suite door squeaks and squarks) . He needs to go to the dentist anyways as he has perfectly straight beautiful teeth (honest he has really white straight teeth which pisses me off as he takes no care of them at all ) but one of them near the back (only visible if u look in mouth) has gone black ? It will be from the sweets he takes in his tractor and munches on all day ( he is skinny an all but eats like a racehorse which also pisses me off haha) . I'm gunna have to woman up and tell him to go to dentist ! Would sending him a text saying iv made an appointment do ? I'm such a bloody chicken . I just don't want to make him feel embarrassed or like I don't fancy him . I do but just not on a morning haha

OP posts:
Original poster
Farmerswife4life1984 · 10/08/2017 09:31

teddy my dh doesn't drink any water or fruit juices and just has flask of coffee so I definitely think more fluids can be a contributing factor . If he does get thirsty he will have full fat coke . He hates juice and water ? I can't stand coke and me n kids always drink fruit juice diluted with water but I have to buy coke for dh . When I write it down he sounds so un healthy . Iv never thought about his fluid intake before but it's not very healthy having coffee and coke

OP posts:
virgospirit · 10/08/2017 10:12

He drinks coffee with 2 sugars . I'd say 4 cups a day . I have mentioned about his teeth cleaning habits (lack of) and he isn't remotely bothered ? He says toothpaste makes him feel sick ? He also eats a lot of sweets

so eight spoonfuls of sugar a day, plus sweets, plus coke? he needs to address his sugar addiction and start cleaning his teeth!

Teddy7878 · 10/08/2017 12:07

What does his breath smell of? Is it a stale coffee kind of smell, or a poo smell or like a morning breath dehydrated smell? My bf sometimes gets a sweet smell to his breath but it's quite unpleasant

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