Can bad breath ruin your relationship?

Imagine bending to kiss the love of your life, and a strong bad smell emanates from their mouth. What would be your reaction? Would you continue loving this person or would the bad breath ruin your relationship?

Now, imagine you are on the other end – you have bad breath. You accompany your girlfriend or boyfriend to a dinner party and nobody wants to talk to you because of your bad breath. Would you leave the party while in a relationship or would the experience be a deal-breaker for your partner?

What does good/bad breath mean to a relationship?

While love conquers it all, bad breath is no fun in any relationship. Your partner can be forgiving when it comes to your other flaws and habits, but halitosis (bad breath) is something that many partners are unable to tolerate. Your breath is a vital factor at the beginning of a relationship as well as during its course.

Today we will look at the causes of bad breath, how it affects relationships and the possible solutions.

What causes bad breath?

Also known as malodour, bad breath is a common but treatable condition. About 50 million people suffer from chronic malodour in the US, but many do not look for help because they are embarrassed.  It may result because of something you ate, poor oral hygiene or serious medical reasons.

Poor oral health

One of the reasons for bad breath is poor oral hygiene, which has also been spoken about vividly. If you do not clean your teeth and mouth generally, food particles can remain in there and quickly result in a plague. The rough part of your tongue and tonsils may trap food particles, which produce poor mouth odour.

Dental problems

Bad breath caused by dental problems. If you are experiencing bad breath and teeth grinding during sleep, there is a chance that you suffer from dry mouth. Staying hydrated and staying hydrated will help preserve the enamel. Your dentist or doctor can help guide you to your best solution for ending bruxism. One of the best strategies that’ll stop teeth grinding is to wear a nightguard.

Low carb or high protein diets

Carbohydrates play an essential role in our bodies. If you take a food that’s low in carbs and high in protein, your body’s metabolism might be affected. High protein diets are hard to digest, which leads to the release of sulfurous gases when the food doesn’t metabolise.

Digestive issues

Bowel disorders, constipation, and poor digestion are all culprits of bad breath. If you experience acid reflux regularly, the odours from the food you consumed recently come back to the oesophagus and into the mouth; thus resulting in bad breath.

Other causes

The lingering halitosis is often a sign of an underlying medical condition that requires your immediate attention. Bad breath is often a warning sign that other illnesses or diseases are present. Common conditions that result in halitosis include sinus issues, tonsil infections, kidney failure, diabetes, and blood disorders. Bad breath might also be a sign of serious medical problems like metabolic disorders and cancer.

How can bad breath ruin your relationship? Ten Ways Halitosis Can Break Your Relationship

Hard to kiss

This is one of the most prominent ways that bad breath ends relationships. Let’s be candid here. Talking to a person with bad breath is difficult, leave alone kissing him or her. When your partner has bad breath, the temptation of bending over to kiss them remains a distant memory. Does your boyfriend or girlfriend avoid kissing you? Halitosis might be the problem.

It lowers self-confidence

Countless romantic relationships have ended because one partner wouldn’t accept the other’s odours. At times the situation is extreme to the extent that it damaged the self-confidence in both partners. The person with bad breath feels unattractive, defensive and embarrassed. The other partner starts feeling like they are no longer attracted to their boyfriend or girlfriend because of the bad breath.

It makes your partner uncomfortable

Regardless of how much you love someone, halitosis can ruin or cause a rift in your relationship. Halitosis can be terrible, and only a few people can be comfortable with such a situation, especially if they have to handle it every day. As such, finding solutions is necessary.

Makes it harder to conceive

A study showed that women who had gum diseases (that is generally associated with poor oral hygiene) took two months longer to conceive than those without. The researchers suggested that it could be due to excessive inflammation. With a direct relationship between oral hygiene and conceiving, you can imagine how challenging this can be for partners who want to have a baby.

It kills intimacy

Malodour can damage sexual intimacy and make it challenging to share bonding experiences with your partner. Kissing is a primary component of foreplay, which is absent due to the partner’s bad breath. When you have bad breath regularly, you might end up omitting kissing intimacy from your relationship altogether, thus making it a long-term issue that may result in the ruining of your relationship.

May cause disgust

It’s time to spell out facts; bad breath can be disgusting and a turn-off. If yours is a new relationship, surviving such a hurdle might be close to impossible. The disgust towards halitosis can be transferred to the partner without your conscious knowledge.

You are stuck at dating

Far from being a superficial matter, halitosis can make it difficult for you to move beyond the dating phase. If you are having a hard time displaying your affection, there is no way you will move forward in your relationship. The other person might also develop a low opinion of you especially if you do nothing about it.

Frequent quarrels

Bad breath is like a time bomb in a relationship. If you don’t do anything to correct it, your partner will get fed up and what you share will be in ruins. You might argue over small things because you have an underlying issue that you haven’t solved. Nobody gets used to bad breath or an uncomfortable stench. So, do not expect your partner to get into the flow. Instead, seek solutions so that you can all enjoy a healthy and happy relationship.

It might interfere with a healthy pregnancy

Expectant mothers undergo hormonal changes that make them prone to oral bacterial infections and gum disease. The two conditions often result in bad breath. Research shows that there is a relationship between premature birth, low birth weight, and gum disease. Therefore, expectant mothers ought to take oral hygiene seriously.

Poor connection – or none at all!

So, you aren’t kissing, going out together or having intimate conversations. What’s next? Your connection is likely to be severely affected because you are having a difficult time staying together. As such, this could affect your relationship adversely.

Five tips to prevent bad breath from ruining your relationship

There is no need to let your relationship fade away yet there is so much you can do about it. Let’s explore some of the natural ways to get rid of bad breath and prevent it from destroying your relationship.

Hydrate

Hydration will ensure that you maintain saliva flow; thus keeping your mouth moist and making it hard for bacteria to survive. Reduce your intake of diuretics such as coffee, alcohol and black tea. Diuretics might result in dry mouth.

Practice proper oral hygiene

Brush at least twice in a day using fluoride toothpaste to get rid of the plaque and the food debris in your teeth. Make it a habit to brush teeth after eating. You may have to carry a toothbrush and toothpaste to work or school so that you can brush after every meal.

Make sure to replace your toothbrush every two months or after an illness. Use a dental cleaner to remove food particles in your teeth. Use mouthwash twice a day to rinse your mouth. Do not forget to brush your tongue because that is where food particles find a resting place.

Eat breath-freshening foods

Parsley, mint, and cinnamon are breath freshening foods that you can take to have a pleasant breath. Cloves are also useful.

Record the foods you eat and the medicines you take

If you suspect that the foods you are eating are causing bad breath, you should keep a log and send to your dentist for a review. Some medicines are the culprit of bad breath, but you wouldn’t know unless you inquire. Book a dental appointment and allow the dentist to review your medication.

Make dental appointments regular

Many people see a dentist only when they have an illness, which should not be the case. Dental visits should be routine. During the visit, your dentist will conduct an oral examination and undertake professional teeth cleaning to detect and treat periodontal diseases and other conditions that cause halitosis.

It doesn’t have to end

Human beings are known to be highly sensitive to body odours, including bad breath. Do not allow halitosis to cause drift or an end to your wonderful relationship. Find a remedy that works for you and be persistent.

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