Advice on Getting Rid of Bad Breath!

Updated on December 01, 2008
J.R. asks from Abington, MA
13 answers

I have an older brother who just has the worst breath. It is like toxic at times. Very hard to stand close to and hold a conversation. I'm almost thinking it is "medical"? Any suggestions I can pass on to him. When my son was younger he had bad breath, but a tongue cleaner was the answer for him. I think my Mom already passed on one of those to him, but no change. Any input is appreciated.

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A.D.

answers from Boston on

Could be a sign of infection. My husband had AWFUL breath. At my insistence, he went to the dentist to find out he had a crack in his molar (no pain) that was causing an infection. His wisdom teeth were pushing into his molars which caused the crack. Had his wisdom teeth removed, a cleaning, and fixed his cracked tooth and it immediately took care of the problem. I've also heard that sinus infections can cause serious bad breath. See a Dr. and/or dentist. Hope this helps.

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L.L.

answers from Portland on

If his teeth are in fairly good condition then it has to be medical.
Gastric problems can cause this.
I would suggest he see a doctor about it and where it is severe , he probably needs to goad the doctor to find the cause.
Docs are in such short supply they tend often to be dismissive about such conditions considering them to be trivial.
He could mention it is a terrible hindrance to his social life and perhaps the doc would pay a bit more attention.
I have had to work with people with that problem and it is very distressing. Must be distressing for your brother as well.
Brushing the tongue and gums could help significantly.
Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

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T.A.

answers from Providence on

It can be a stomach issue.Also if he has not had his teeth cleaned in a long time periodontal disease causes it or has decay in many teeth he would have to have that taken care of in order for it to change. T.

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C.M.

answers from Boston on

My brother had the same thing. He went to a dentist and they told him that his teeth were deceing. So they had to pull his teeth. It is also could be a medical thing to. If it is a matelic tast is a sign of Diebetis. Hope this works

1 mom found this helpful
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L.R.

answers from Boston on

Hi, my husband had the same problem, it's actually sulfer in the mouth. I bought Tri-Oral from QVC for about $20, it works wonderful !!! They also have a toothpaste. You have to use it twice a day,if my husband misses I can tell. Good Luck L.

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S.L.

answers from Boston on

Hi J.

There is actually a medical condition for bad breath. The name of it escapes me at the moment but I have a family member who has this problem and it was easily solved by taking a medication specifically for this problem. I'm a big fan of www.webmd.com and I know if you go on that website they will be able to tell you the name of this condition. I know it seems silly to go to the doctor for bad breath but your brother should consider it!

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B.M.

answers from Boston on

Is he flossing and doing regular dental hygiene? Does he have any rotting teeth? If he is brushing & flossing & tongue scraping & gargling and has no rotten teeth then I'd say he might have halitosis or something medical. Ugh.....bad breath is the WORST!!!!!! My grandfather had AWFUL breath b/c he had polyps in his throat.

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A.G.

answers from Boston on

kind of a weird questions back to you but does your brother still have his tonscils? i had an issue with food getting stuck behind my tonscils and it would rot- pretty gross and i had to actually bursh them and gag to get rid of it so they finally took them out and it's so much better- not sure if it's any help but that was what it was in my case

1 mom found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Boston on

Bad breath can be a symptom of some illnesses. He should probably see a doctor. In the meantime, gargling with salt water works. It's important to get the back of the tongue.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.O.

answers from Boston on

Sorry to hear that. It can be hard especially if he is a nice guy. He should get a check up by an MD. One of my friends had a sinus infection that caused her to have bad breath for a long time. Another friend of mine had bad breath as a result of her diet. Both were uncovered and dealt with as a result of physician check ups. Hope this helps.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.C.

answers from Bangor on

Funny I just read about gargling with salt. The salt attacks the bacteria and kills the smell. It's a cheap option and if it works you can find it in your kitchen.

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R.H.

answers from Boston on

Definitely talk to your brother about it... as I'm sure you know he needs someone to be honest with him as this is probably affecting his social life! Rule out infections of the mouth/gums at the dentist office, then rule out problems at the doctor's office like food stuck in the esophagus, poor diet, Diabetes etc. THere are actually quite a few medical probs that can cause offensive breath but he should talk about it seriously with both the dentist and doc.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Boston on

Has your brother been checked for diabetes? Ketones on the breath have a bad odor and no amount of brushing helps. It is a n awful chemical smell and they don't notice it.

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