Halitosis invasion

Nurses Stress 101

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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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

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?

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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