Bad breath responsible for A LOT of office unhappiness

Millions of workers admit they dread talking to a colleague – because of their bad breath, a study has found.

Researchers who polled 2,000 adults found 63 per cent have had to turn away from someone mid-conversation because they couldn’t stand the smell of their breath.

And almost one in five ‘can’t bear’ to talk to a colleague because of their bad oral odour.

But it’s not just work where we are at the mercy of other people’s bad breath, with more than one in three even pulling back from a kiss with a date after being overwhelmed by the smell.

It also emerged almost half of Brits worry they suffer from bad breath themselves, with more than a third even having it highlighted by others.

Naturally, the stats emerged in a study by UltraDex One Go, a brand of liquid mouthwash sachets.

Leading London dentist Dr Mervyn Druian said: “Bad breath can be due to many factors but living a fast-paced, ‘on the go’ lifestyle often means eating on the hoof and drinking caffeine to stay awake.

“This all impacts on our breath, but there are things people can do to battle smelly breath instantly to banish odour and inhibit the harmful bacteria which can cause bad breath.”

The study also found the average Brit will have to endure someone else’s bad breath at least 104 times a year – twice every week.

The most shameful bad breath odours are from cigarette breath, ‘morning mouth’, poor oral hygiene and perhaps unsurprisingly, lingering garlic breath.

A fishy tuna sandwich, spicy curry or cheesy breath also feature among the most hated bad odours.

Researchers also found those surveyed are most likely to worry their breath smells straight after drinking coffee or eating lunch.

One in twenty worry about having bad breath on the commute into work, while fifteen per cent start to worry after a long journey or flight.

And more than three quarters of adults admit having bad breath has ‘knocked their confidence’.

Regular teeth brushing is considered the best way to combat bad breath, but more than 90 per cent reckon the fresh feeling from brushing wears off within just five hours.

And although around 30 per cent carry mints or chewing gum as ‘emergency’ breath fresheners, using a mouthwash was considered a better way of achieving fresh, clean breath.

Researchers found it could be bad news if you suffer from bad breath though as just 15 per cent of people would tell their friend if they had the problem.

And more than one in three have offered someone gum or mints as a subtle way of trying to improve the smell of their breath.

Top 10 ways to combat bad breath:

1. Brushing teeth regularly

2. Using a mouthwash

3. Chewing gum

4. Flossing

5. Mints

6. Drinking water to moisten your mouth

7. Scraping your tongue

8. Avoiding foods with lingering odours

9. Eating something else to cover up the smell

10. Avoiding alcohol