Sniff, sniff... bad breath and B.O.

TEEN STUFF, May 2009, by Brittney Haines

Sniff, sniff...

Know what my pet peeve is? Bad breath and B.O. It’s such a turnoff for girls and guys, and half the time the person (maybe one of us) isn’t even aware of it.

We’ve all found ourselves in that uncomfortable situation with someone who smells really bad, and you just want to run away to gasp for some fresh air. Meanwhile, the person has no idea that they even smell bad, and are wondering why your face is turning purple, as you try to hold your breath! Why can’t we smell ourselves the way other people smell us?

Do we tell?
The thing is, most people are too nice to tell their friends or peers that they stink. But wait, wouldn’t it be nicer to tell them they smell bad, than not? I mean, they might be embarrassed for a couple seconds, but they would be super thankful that you told them. I know I would be. You can even tell them in a nice way, like by offering them a piece of gum or a mint, and making sure they get the hint if they say “no thanks”.
“uhhh….want a mint?” wink wink

But unfortunately, we can’t change everybody around us, so the best way to start is with ourselves. So here’s my research about how to smell sweeter:

Bad Breath
Bad breath, a.k.a. ‘halitosis’ can be caused by many things. The most common causes are the foods you eat and the decaying food and bacteria left in your mouth. There are probably little nasty bits in your teeth right now – eww! After the foods are digested and the pungent (really smelly) oils are absorbed into your bloodstream, they're carried to your lungs and are given off in your breath until the food is gone from your body.

Cool Fact: Onions and garlic can cause bad breath for as long as 72 HOURS after you've eaten them!

Your breath can also start stinking from ‘dry mouth’, which is when dead cells accumulate on your tongue, gums and cheeks. We’ve all had morning breath – gross right? Well, that’s from dry mouth, which is even more of a problem if you sleep with your mouth open. Other causes can be from smoking, by being sick (cough, cough) and by not brushing and flossing.

What to do!?
So bad breath is pretty gross, but you can totally be in control of it.

    • Brush your teeth 2 times a day. And c’mon, it’s also cool to floss every once in a while too! ;)
    • Drink tons of water, and not too much coffee (or lattes), even though we love them.
    • Chew gum or a have mint when your toothbrush isn’t available during the day. (I personally like TicTacs because there’s no aspartame in them).
    • Eat lots of veggies and grab an apple every day
    • Go to your dentist

What about Body Odour, aka B.O.?
Body odours can come from many places on our bodies, but mostly from areas that sweat. Because guys sweat more than girls, we’re a little luckier in that department, but it can still be a problem. Body odours can be pretty embarrassing at times because no matter how hard we try to stay smelling great, we just can’t constantly be putting on deodorant or washing ourselves.

Lori and Liane’s article this issue is all about this very topic so I’m going to let them explain it… you definitely should read it to get the details from the pros!

Don't "sweat it"
We all might stink sometimes, so don’t “sweat it!”. Just be ready for those times when you do catch a not so pleasant wiff. Bring deodorant and even perfume to school, especially after gym and put it on before you go and after (go easy on the perfume though, some people find it as hard to breathe as BO). Brush your teeth and avoid strong smelling foods. When in doubt, pop a mint.

There’s a really good chance that YOU OR ME could have been that person someone was holding their breath from at one point in time – ugh! Don’t worry, be prepared and you’ll always smell sweet.

~ Brittney

Also check out the article on hygiene in 'Ask Lori and Liane' for more info on this topic :)

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Sniff, sniff... bad breath and B.O.

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