Bad breath!

[LotusElise]

There is a bloke who sits opposite me at work with the worst halitosis I have ever come across. It's not your normal "last night's garlic/lager/steak and onions" whiff which everyone gets from time to time, it's a really horrid, rotten smell which might well be due to gum disease or stomach problems. And it's getting worse.

My other desk-mate and I are now avoiding talking to him because the smell is that bad. When he does talk to me, I find it incredibly hard not to pull a face. We have tried giving him mint gum, but this does little to counteract the stench.

Has anyone ever successfully "had a word" with someone else about this? It's getting to the stage where communication is difficult and people on other desks are complaining. The guy works in sales as well, so it can't be good for the customers either. He's certainly not my favourite work colleague, but I don't want to plough in and be really rude. Any advice?

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Powerful air-fresheners to over power any smell! Maybe just ask him ' have you been eating garlic?' or something that might alert them to their problem.

We once had a customer at who was wearing really bad aftershave and the girl who was serving him was asking me what had I done :s must have been very embarrasing for the customer.

[Ian McC]

"had a word"


We have a guy in the office that smells of wet dogs, people take the p*ss but no-one ever says anything.

[BeansBeansBeans]

Just ask him what he would do if one of his work colleagues had really bad breath. He'll probably say "Well, I think it's probably best to be honest". Then you just say "I'm glad you said that, because your breath is quite bad and I think you should try and sort it out".

Problem solved. Don't thank me.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Just ask him what he would do if one of his work colleagues had really bad breath. He'll probably say "Well, I think it's probably best to be honest". Then you just say "I'm glad you said that, because your breath is quite bad and I think you should try and sort it out".

Problem solved. Don't thank me.

Personally I'd find that a bit rude :s

[race aficionado]

offer him/her a tic tac and have them always available.
They come in all sort of neat colors and flavors.

:)

[LeonBrooke]

There is a bloke who sits opposite me at work with the worst halitosis I have ever come across. It's not your normal "last night's garlic/lager/steak and onions" whiff which everyone gets from time to time, it's a really horrid, rotten smell which might well be due to gum disease or stomach problems. And it's getting worse.

My other desk-mate and I are now avoiding talking to him because the smell is that bad. When he does talk to me, I find it incredibly hard not to pull a face. We have tried giving him mint gum, but this does little to counteract the stench.

Has anyone ever successfully "had a word" with someone else about this? It's getting to the stage where communication is difficult and people on other desks are complaining. The guy works in sales as well, so it can't be good for the customers either. He's certainly not my favourite work colleague, but I don't want to plough in and be really rude. Any advice?

If you suspect that it's the result of an infection, mention that: say something like "I suspect you have some form of halitosis or somesuch, maybe you should see a doctor".

[oily oaf]

I dunno Lotus Blossom. You don't half get worked up over the most mundane of quandaries sometimes :)

This is quite clearly nothing more sinister than a simple and straightforward case of demonic possession by a slavering hellhound from the stinking, fetid pit of Godless Hades.

Listen love the next time your colleague comes over to borrow your rubber and treats you to an aroma akin to the inside of a Turkish wrestler's jock strap simply whip out a crudely fashioned homemade wooden crucifix, thrust it in your tormentors minging boatrace and bawl lustily "OUT DEMON OUT! BEGONE FROM THE EARTHLY MANIFESTATION OF THIS CHILD AND RETURN TO THE VILE PLACE OF TORMENT AND FESTERING EVIL FROM WHICH YOU CAME.
IN THE NAME OF OUR SAVIOUR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WHOSE BROKEN BODY WRITHED ON THE CROSS TO SAVE US FROM LUCIFER AND HIS HELLISH HOARDES BEGONE I COMMAND YOU. :)

At this point your pongy pal may utter a blood curdling shriek of anguish and incandescent demonic rage before belching a torrent of vile obscenities at you, retching diarrhoetically and blasting a scalding jet of evil smelling green projectile vomit into your face.
Don't worry this is perfectly normal :s mokin:

Now this is the important bit. When his head begins to revolve furiously through 360 degrees and he starts to levitate from his swivel chair simply open your mouth and accept the hideous ethereal gaseous emission that will issue forth from the very core of his being.

Next up, leg it over to the fire escape a bit lively before chucking yourself down 3 flights where your twisted and broken form will lie still and lifeless, eerily lit by a solitary street lamp.

Job done :s mokin:

Thank me later but send me the £5.00 postal order now.

God be with you daughter :s murf:

[Ian McC]

You wouldn't believe that Oily works for the UN would you? :crazy:

[jim mcglinchey]

get yourselves down the army surplus and get those german army WW2 issue gas masks complete with black cylinderical holder that Gerry always has. If everyone in the office has one and you put them on every time he comes near I think he'll soon get the message and he'll thank you for your subtlety.

[slinkster]

Urgh.. that's quite a precidament... it'll be hard not to hurt his feelings... thing is, if it's that bad wouldn't he realise himself? Is there a chance he knows and is already embarrassed?

There was a girl at school who smelt really bad, I don't think she wore deoderant, but she was lovely and I tried to not let it bother me. I think eventually a close friend of hers did tell her... and things improved. It's tricky though.

I'm not good with bad smells... I'd find it VERY hard not to cover my nose or worse... gag!

[Drew]

Personally I'd find that a bit rude :s

I'd find it a little embarassing, but then would be glad somebody had the guts to tell me the truth, imho :)

[PuddleJumper]

Please consider that your colleague may be diabetic because that can cause bad breath. I have a colleague at work who is diabetic and they suffer with bad breath, but there's nothing they can do about it. It really wouldn't be fair to hassle them about it when they have to live with diabetes too.

[race aficionado]

forget about the tic tacs.

Oily's got it spot on.

[Roamy]

There is a bloke who sits opposite me at work with the worst halitosis I have ever come across. It's not your normal "last night's garlic/lager/steak and onions" whiff which everyone gets from time to time, it's a really horrid, rotten smell which might well be due to gum disease or stomach problems. And it's getting worse.

My other desk-mate and I are now avoiding talking to him because the smell is that bad. When he does talk to me, I find it incredibly hard not to pull a face. We have tried giving him mint gum, but this does little to counteract the stench.

Has anyone ever successfully "had a word" with someone else about this? It's getting to the stage where communication is difficult and people on other desks are complaining. The guy works in sales as well, so it can't be good for the customers either. He's certainly not my favourite work colleague, but I don't want to plough in and be really rude. Any advice?

the problem is that these pukes usually have bad habits or severe gum disease. Usually arrogant enough that they will not respond to a simple
"****head" here use this. as you hand the nuclear breath spray. Probably will need and should be directed by people up the ladder with a stern demand to get it handled. I have one where I am and he is just pathetic.

[Gannex]

Surely, it all depends on whether he CAN do anything about it. That's the pivotal question. Is it medical?

I think it's the supervisor's job to find out. The guy's boss should have a quiet word and ask the specific questions: Are you aware of the bad breath? Have you had a medical opinion? If so, you must allow us to see it, and if not, you must get one. Otherwise, you're out.

Then, if the guy produces a medical opinion showing that everything that can be done is being done, he should be kept on, and it might be a kindness of management to let the medical facts leak, so that office-sharers will know to be tolerant.

[oily oaf]

the problem is that these pukes usually have bad habits or severe gum disease. Usually arrogant enough that they will not respond to a simple
"****head" here use this. as you hand the nuclear breath spray. Probably will need and should be directed by people up the ladder with a stern demand to get it handled. I have one where I am and he is just pathetic.

Hah! Yet more lilly livered, mamby pamby commie lovin' claptrap from the forum's very own grits nibbling, pinko, surrender monkey :mad:

Disregard this altruistic, humanist BS and Exorcise him! Exorcise him I say EEEEXXXXXXORCISE SOME SENSE INTO HIM!

And if that doesn't work and his breath still bears a passing resemblance to a blocked khazi on a Japanese whaling ship then burn him................in a hermetically sealed filing cabinet......................face down.

(waves pitchfork wildly in air and hurls cat into microwave)

[LeonBrooke]

Oily's solution sounds like the most effective, but I don't like the part where Lotus hurls herself to her death... :s

[oily oaf]

STOP PRESS
It's alright guys, the screams off :cool:

I just got an email from one of Lotus's co workers who informs me that the geezer has had his Gingivitus or "Trench Mouth" sorted after visting a local iron foundry who sand blasted his gums for him :)

In point of fact and keep this to yourselves, my informant tells me that Lotus has started to see her erstwhile minging mate in an entirely new light.
(taps side of nose with forefinger).

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/play_uk.php?id=1839302

[LeonBrooke]

wow

I don't what to say about that...

[LotusElise]

STOP PRESS
It's alright guys, the screams off :cool:

I just got an email from one of Lotus's co workers who informs me that the geezer has had his Gingivitus or "Trench Mouth" sorted after visting a local iron foundry who sand blasted his gums for him :)

In point of fact and keep this to yourselves, my informant tells me that Lotus has started to see her erstwhile minging mate in an entirely new light.
(taps side of nose with forefinger).

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/play_uk.php?id=1839302

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, Oily's wishful thinking is far from the truth. The Stinky One is still smelly and the suggestion he made has made me feel really ill!

[Hotbikerchic33]

Just ask him what he would do if one of his work colleagues had really bad breath. He'll probably say "Well, I think it's probably best to be honest". Then you just say "I'm glad you said that, because your breath is quite bad and I think you should try and sort it out".

Problem solved. Don't thank me.

Yeah i think thats what i would do to after all the guy needs to know!
does he have a wife or girlfriend? if he does i bet she doesnt kiss him that often! :(

[oily oaf]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, Oily's wishful thinking is far from the truth. The Stinky One is still smelly and the suggestion he made has made me feel really ill!

Sorry love I can't help myself :(

'ere! I see our mate's back ;)

[Wilderness]

Go to the store and buy an assortment of mints, sprays and chewing gums and leave them annonymously, with a note (preferrable, made out with letters cut out of magazines and newspapers).

[cobre]

do the man a favour and tell him; sit back& enjoy watching as his work and social life begin to improve!... rude?

[Ian McC]

Tell him like it is, you are going to continue to suffer until you do.

[jso1985]

unless he's an arrogant one, he's gonna be thankful to the one telling him he's got a problem.

[Hotbikerchic33]

'ere! I see our mate's back ;) [/quote]

I never went away oaf! :D :D :D

[Firstgear]

Most of the suggestions so far have been quite sensible, but if that's not your style here's a couple of others:

1. Fight fire (or stink) with fire (more stink). Don't take a shower for a couple of weeks. When he starts turning green and eventually confronts you, you offer him a deal. You'll shower if he'll brush.

2. If you don't like the confrontation (or stink) of #1 above, go for this sneaky alternative. When he's away from his desk, sneak on over and point his computer to this thread. Should work, as long as he can read.

Don't thank me, thank Dear Abby, I pilfered these "guaranteed to work" solutions from her column.

[oily oaf]

'ere! I see our mate's back ;)

I never went away oaf! :D :D :D [/quote]

Holy Hormone Replacement Batman!

This is absolutely fantastic news! The forum has been a pale facsimile of it's former self without your insightful, in depth dissection of contemporary world politics your laudable spelling and punctuation, flowing text speak, abusive PMs and gripping day by day updates on the movements of Internet Boyfriend.

I must concede that I take my hat off to you for returning to the fray so soon as many lesser souls would have read the less than complimentary beastings that were dished out to you in the Forum Feedback section and gained the impression that they were slightly less popular than a fart in a spacesuit and cleared off.

You must have skin like a Rhino love. With that in mind have you tried "Tugboat Nights" by Laboratoire Garnier? It's an excellent slightly scented moisturising product designed with the more mature bint in mind and comes with it's own handy little trowel and bricklayer's hod for when you go on holiday.

Keep smilin' and give old Internet boyfriend a big sloppy wet one from old Oily and you can give him a kiss too if you like.

Missing you already Mwah Mwah

(lights pipe and glances nervously at Private Message Inbox)

[Hotbikerchic33]

Go to the store and buy an assortment of mints, sprays and chewing gums and leave them annonymously, with a note (preferrable, made out with letters cut out of magazines and newspapers).


Good Idea :D

Afew yrs ago a mother of a friend of mine worked with a woman who used to stink of Sweat etc! after awhile she couldnt bear it no longer so went out and brought loads of smellies for this woman soap etc etc and wrapped them all up in a nice parcel and put a note on it from all your friends at work and left outside her locker! :eek:

When she came to work she said who's brought me a present? :confused:
my friends mother said we have love now open it and take the bloody hint!
after that day she always smelled nice! :D :)

[Ian McC]

Will you two get it on already? :rolleyes:

[Heidfeldrulez]

it's a tough one only, if the person is one of your close mates. then finding the balance between being fun and delicate and still get the message thru is tricky for real

if it isnt someone you normaly socialize with outside work, then why dont you just go on and tell'em. If he sorts it out, its really a win-win situation, you dont suffer from the smell, and his popularity index increases rapidly. If he takes it personaly and doesnt do anything about it, then what? You didnt lose a mate, and you don't have worry anymore on this "how should i tell him" thing

tell him :D