No worries, mate (heh) it is humourous (sic) perchance it will catch on here or mayhap it won’t. Bloody hell, wot wot, I say…
Also agree with Corrvin. People have bad breath for all sorts of reasons, it sucks to have to deal with it but what are you gonna do? I say the rants around here are getting entirely to mundane. Breath stinks-shit happens, almost got in accident-shit happens, fed ex lost you package-shit happens, somebody misspelled “your”-shit happens. Buck up or at the very least make the whiney complaints humourous (heh)
Wow, it never occurred to me he might be using, although he’s never displayed any weird behavior that might lead one to suspect he’s on something.
In any event, something’s got to be done because we have to work with him, and although he’s nice as can be it just knocks you out of your socks to come near him, what with the smell.
A discreet discussion with some co-workers brought about a suggestion that one of us speak privately with his supervisor, and let him talk to the guy about the problem. I think we’ll opt for that at this point with the hope that he can help the guy without too much embarrassment for him.
Know what - I find this incredibly insensitive and offensive. Did you EVER think that some people are just BORN with a genetic defect that affects their mouth, like porous teeth or little to no enamel?
I’ve been dealing with dentists since I was five due to these very issues. Think dental coverage in this country for companies is good? It’s SHIT. Most policies are $1000 limit per year. For me, that was ONE TOOTH. I’ve gone on job interviews with super-glue holding my front teeth together desperate for a job with dental benefits. I’ve cashed in my 401K SEVERAL times to pay for crowns that ONE YEAR LATER had to be replaced (oh, at 1500 a pop). you got that kind of spare cash lying around? Cause I sure don’t.
Some people also have terrifically aggressive plaque bacteria in their mouths (something else I am prone to), so I am constantly aware of a bad taste in my mouth and know it would transfer to an odor. I am constantly using mouthwash (specialty), mints, breath spray, brushing, and everything else to try to NOT offend insensitive fucks like you.
My mouth has cost over $50,000 in my lifetime - to date. I am having caps and crowns on EVRY ONE OF MY TEETH EXCEPT 4. That’s another $40,000. That insurance can’t cover. And it all has to be done at once because by the time one problem gets fixed, there’s another trouble spot ready to erupt or already has. Abscesses are fun - every had one? How about three in your mouth that never go away, just would flare up and swell your mouth until they found a surface place to drain. How about infections beneath a tooth that are so bad all they can do is pull a tooth? A molar - they’re important, you know. And one week later, the same infection under a molar on the other side. Pulled.
Ever sat up in the middle of the night with pain in your mouth so bad that you rocked back and forth whimpering until 8am, when an office would be open? Ever think you were going to go insane from the amount of pain? Ever just had to sweat it out cause you had to choose on food or rent or teeth?
Your post smacks of insensitive superiority with NO SYMPATHY for what your co-worker may be enduring. If it offends you that much, next time you’re talking to him, take out a breath mint, eat one yourself and then offer one to the other person. Not so insulting.
But hey, I’m sure you’re perfect and have no problems that others would complain about.
Well, based on the actual information contained in silver1’s posts, this guy must also have also been born with genetic defects that make him unable to use gum or breath mints, take advantage of the dental coverage available to him, or remove the “piles of crud” or “geological strata” of plaque on his teeth.
Exactly. Even a bum who’s blind drunk & curled up on a sidewalk in a puddle of his own piss knows to swish the Listerine around in his mouth for 30 seconds before swallowing it. Just like we all need 7 hours of sleep a day, sympathy dole-outs aren’t an unlimited resource.
I’m just waiting for the 1st remormed meth head to feign offense about being sullied and ask: is it more ignorant to get hooked on tina - or to ignore any form of dental hygeine for countless years (ala Johnny Rotten who works in Silver’s office)?
Wow, Ink. That’s some serious badness going on in your mouth. You have my sympathies.
The description of the teeth in question did make me think of meth mouth (sadly, I’ve known too many people with this) but there’s no way for any of us to know because we’re not the ones dealing with this poor guy. I’d look at behavior before the chompers. My dad had HORRIBLE, grotesque, rotting teeth before he had them all yanked in his late thirties. He never did meth or anything like that- he just inherited bad teeth. Dad was painfully aware of how they affected his appearance and his breath. He wouldn’t grin in public, he was so self-concious of them.
I second the inconspicuous breath mint idea. Works with my mom.
If I’m ever in charge of a workplace, I’m putting a big box of mins next to the coffee maker with a sign reading “For obliterating that nasty coffee breath!” It seems like everyone at every office I’ve ever worked in has stale coffee breath all the time, and it’s the worst.
Get a supply of mints, and let the rest of the office in on it. Maybe they’ll chip in for the mint supply. Put it in a noticeable, public place with a cheery sign and let the offender start poppng those mints. Get him to the “mint area” by any and all means, as often as necessary.
While this clearly sounds like a problem with dental hygiene, there can be other causes.
IANAD, but I have known some folks who have developed halitosis as a symptom of an illness. One was a fellow employee; his breath was the talk of the office until it was revealed that he had lung cancer.
And I had a cat with very strong breath* who turned out to have have severe kidney problems.
I’m not trying to show a trend from a very few data points, but there may be something else behind this.
I sympathize, but maybe it is just best to count yourself lucky in comparison.
Diabetes can also give you bad breath, as can some medications. Bio-Tene toothpastes and mouthwashes help those people, but if your teeth are rotting, there’s nothing you can do.
I knew a family that had a genetic condition where they didn’t have any adult teeth. Baby teeth rot pretty quickly, because they have no enamel. Both of the girls got their teeth yanked at 25 or so. One got dentures and the other spent $70,000 to get the fake teeth implanted into her jaw. The change in their attitudes and confidence levels was immediate.
