Halitosis invasion

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I have to say, throughout the day and the more I talk the yuckier my mouth feels. Gum is out of the question and I dont't always have the time to brush my teeth every few hours. How do you keep your breath fresh for 12 hours? There is nothing worse than halitosis. Right now I use listerine pocket packs, but they only last a little while until my lunch when I brush. Weird I know.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Have you tried a tongue scraper? I have found that most of my bad breath is eliminated when I carefully scrape the white biofilm coating off my tongue upon awakening every day. Perhaps you can take a tongue scraper to work, douse some mouthwash on it, and hide somewhere for five minutes to scrape.

Also, I like Altoid mints. They are small, discreet, and cheap.

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Specializes in ED, CTSurg, IVTeam, Oncology.

A foul smelling mouth is usually simply indicative of some sort of dental issue (caries, gingivitis, plaque, etc). I would visit a dentist just to preclude that as a possibility before assuming anything more.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
A foul smelling mouth is usually simply indicative of some sort of dental issue (caries, gingivitis, plaque, etc). I would visit a dentist just to preclude that as a possibility before assuming anything more.

Agree good advice to see a dentist.

See the dentist first, then see a doc to investigate other sources if dental is fine.

GERD, sinusitis and medication are some other reasons for bad breath

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Specializes in OB, Med/Surg, Ortho, ICU.

Hey, what do you call a elderly burned-out, nasty, irritable RN with bad breath? Drum roll.......a supercallousfragilenursethatsvexedwithhalitosis! Sorry, I had to. Anyway, altoids work great for me, too if it is just related to dry mouth and food intake. Hope that helps!

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Specializes in ICU.

make sure you aren't dehydrated, which will cause bad breath. make a point to grab a cup of water here and there thru-out your day. maybe squeeze some lemon in it. i brush my tongue, too, and i don't drink coffee at work because it makes some yucky breath. i pop in an eclipse chewing gum as i go into report!

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.
make sure you aren't dehydrated, which will cause bad breath. make a point to grab a cup of water here and there thru-out your day. maybe squeeze some lemon in it. i brush my tongue, too, and i don't drink coffee at work because it makes some yucky breath. i pop in an eclipse chewing gum as i go into report!

i agree. water, water, water. it does wonders. drink water throughout the day, eat fruit for snacks and take your break outside. you will notice a huge difference, immediately. peace!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Tread carefully with the Altoids. I adopted them at one time also. Six months later, I had 5 cavities in an otherwise cavity-free mouth.

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Tread carefully with the Altoids. I adopted them at one time also. Six months later, I had 5 cavities in an otherwise cavity-free mouth.

Sugar free gum for the win. I always have gum in my mouth, but usually tuck it in my cheek so I'm not constantly chewing.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

A healthy mouth shouldn't be plagued by halitosis every few hours. I agree with the advice to go and see your dentist and/or GP

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Hey, what do you call a elderly burned-out, nasty, irritable RN with bad breath? Drum roll.......a supercallousfragilenursethatsvexedwithhalitosis! Sorry, I had to. Anyway, altoids work great for me, too if it is just related to dry mouth and food intake. Hope that helps!

Not funny. Any excuse to take a shot at older nurses these days, eh?

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I have recently begun having bouts with cryptic tonsils. When I have tonsil stones, I have the WORST garbage mouth. It's so bad that I speak a little as possible. Do you ever spit out little yellowish, white chunks when brushing your teeth? This is another possibility. I am seriously considering a tonsillectomy. I have learned a HUGE lesson (which I believe will serve me well as I transition into a healthcare career) while dealing with this issue which is to NOT judge people. My breath issue seems like a cut and dried hygiene problem, but I can brush, floss and gargle to my heart's content (and I have tried) but I can not control the bacteria inside the folds of my tonsils! I hope you find the root of your problem. G/L

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