Telling someone that they have bad breadth is a difficult situation, no matter how close you are with the person. In fact, the close you are it becomes that much important for you to inform the person about his condition. However, the way of telling the person about this embarrassing problem, of which he seems to be completely unaware, can be very difficult because you cannot certainly want to hurt them; but at the same time you cannot keep quite either. In case you are not very close to the person or it is not a chronic problem with the person it is better to avoid to tell them about it. However, if it is a chronic problem informing them about it is important for their own good; because unless they are informed, they can’t take a precautionary measure and that can ruin their whole image. Never opt to tell a person about his bad breadth in a public setting, because that can be very embarrassing for the person. To let someone know about his bad breadth you can start with hints; and if they are intelligent enough they will get it quickly, without having you to tell it clearly or they feeling embarrassed.
Dropping hints about bad breath
Offer a mouth freshener or mint gum: This can be a very effective and efficient way to tell a person about his bad breadth without making him feel bad or hurt. Simply offer them mouth freshener or mint gums every time you are together or talking. If the person is intelligent enough he will pick the hint without a mistake and take the best care to cure the problem and in fact will be happy for letting him know about it.
Pretend you have bad breadth: If the person fails to understand your first hints, when you talk the next time just pretend that you have bad breadth. Say things like you are really embarrassed about your bad breadth and you must have made it a point to get rid of it any way. As the person will realize that you do not actually have bad breadth, it is most expected that he will understand what you are trying to hint.
Leave an anonymous note: This is another thing you can do, which is certainly more direct but will save you as well as the person in context from any embarrassment. Just leave a note at a place it is sure to be checked by him. Be as polite as you can be while writing your lines. This can be a full proof way of informing someone about his bad breadth. However, always ensure that the note should not fall into anyone else’s hands because in that case it can be very embarrassing for the person.
Tell someone close: If you are not very close with the person but you need to spend long hours together due to work or other important stuffs, instead of telling the person about his bad breadth informing someone else who is actually close to him about the problem can be equally effective and will also save you from any embarrassment. As the person will get the information from someone really close, it is most expected not to hurt him.
Telling directly
However, always the way of dropping hints might not be effective. Particularly, if the person is someone close to you it might be important that you inform them directly about it. However, if you are going to let him know directly about the problem, ensure the following to make the situation as comfortable as possible for the person.
Select the right place and situation: You should refrain from telling a person, no matter how close you are with him, about his bad breadth in public. You should tell him about it at a quiet secluded place. It is best to inform these things in private without anyone else listening or looking at you two. So, if you are in a group, refrain from saying anything like that. Inform him only when you are alone with the person and the person seems to be in a proper receptive mood.
Select your words with caution: As your objective is to inform the person about the condition but not to hurt him, it is essential that you pick your words most carefully. You must refrain from using any adjective to describe their breadth, simply let him know that he has a bad breadth and he needs to take care of it. Phrase your sentence in a way so that it sounds as gentle and sober as possible. Either tell them directly like, “I am sorry to mention, but your breadth does not feel right” or phrase your sentence like “I noticed a problem, but think you are not aware of it….” or “I think, being close to you, I should inform you …”
Get the right tone and expression: Your tone and the facial expression while talking plays a vital role in conveying your words to another person. In order to make it most comfortable for the person you must check your tone and facial expression while telling him about bad breadth. You must have a loving and understanding tone and a facial gesture that makes him feel comfortable and at ease. Even if you say the most thoughtfully phrased sentence with a bad tone or improper facial expression, it is most expected that it will hurt the person unnecessarily. So, take care of how you make the person feel as a whole.
Be as normal as you were as soon as you complete the sentence: Once you have informed the person, you should not linger on the topic for another moment. As soon as you have spoken the words, just get back to your normal form and topic and continue without hesitation or bringing any reference to the problem. It will naturally take the person some time to digest the information no matter how gently you might have presented it; so it is better if you can pretend that you have just forgotten the matter as soon as you have informed him about it.
Be compassionate and helpful: Once you have informed the person about the condition be compassionate to understand his problem. If he has a medical condition that you did not know about, and is causing the problem, let him explain with due time. Inform him about the ways, like mint gums or mouth fresheners or repeated brushing that can be a temporary solution to the problem. In case they have some queries about their bad breadth answer them with patience so that they can actually figure out the problem and take measures to overcome it.
Always keep in mind that by telling someone that they have bad breadth you are actually helping the person to treat the condition. Bad breadth is a problem that is not often perceived by the person himself with bad breadth; hence by informing them about their bad breadth you can actually help them to make a better image in their social and personal circle.
