Kissing has been described by relationship experts as a major bonding stimulus, and its absence in a relationship has dire consequences. Kissing, beyond stimulating bonding, opens the door to your partner’s mind and can be used to gauge the level of love.

Imagine yourself in the oda room with your partner, completely enthused in the ecstasy of love and you just simply lower to kiss your partner, only to be greeted with a foul stench, likened to the kind of sensation you get when you open the lid of a used water closet that has not been flushed for days, what will you do? There’s no turn-off that is greater than that.

However, experts have warned that bad breath, if not quickly managed, can make the love between partners wane.

Although love conquers it all, they say, bad breath, according to experts, is no fun in any relationship. According to UPComing, a digital lifestyle blog, “Your partner can be forgiving when it comes to your other flaws and habits, but halitosis is something that many are unable to tolerate. Your breath is a vital factor in a relationship.”

Causes of bad breath

Bad breath, no doubt, is a health concern that can steal a lot of things from you, including your partner. Although treatable, chronic malodour can result from something we ate, poor oral hygiene or serious medical reasons.

Poor oral health:

Another major cause is poor oral health, according to experts. It’s important to clean your teeth and mouth thoroughly so as to remove all food particles stuck in our teeth. Also, the rough part of our tongue and tonsils may trap food particles, which produce poor mouth odour. This can lead to dental problems, which may also be responsible for bad breath.

Also, if you are experiencing bad breath and teeth grinding during sleep, there is a chance that you suffer from dry mouth. Staying hydrated helps preserve the enamel, experts say.

Low carb or high protein diets:

If you take food that’s low in carbs and high in protein, your body’s metabolism might be affected. High protein diets are hard to digest, which leads to the release of sulfurous gases when the food doesn’t metabolise.

Digestive issues:

Digestive issues which come in the form of bowel disorders, constipation, and poor digestion – are all culprits of bad breath. Experts noted that if you experience acid reflux regularly, the odours from the food you consumed recently come back to the oesophagus and into the mouth; thus resulting in bad breath.

Also, a lingering halitosis may pass a sign of covert medical condition which requires your immediate attention. It’s often a warning sign that other illnesses or diseases are present with conditions like sinus issues, tonsil infections, kidney failure, diabetes, and blood disorders. Bad breath might also be a sign of serious medical problems like metabolic disorders and cancer.

Effects of bad breath on your social life

One of the ways bad breath snuffs life out of a relationship is Hard to kiss. Talking to a person with bad breath is difficult, let alone kissing him or her. When your partner has bad breath, the temptation of bending over to kiss them remains a distant memory. Does your boyfriend or girlfriend avoid kissing you? Halitosis might be the problem.

Destroys your self-confidence:

The ugly incident also destroys self-confidence. A lot of romantic relationships have ended because one partner wouldn’t accept the other’s odours. At times, the situation is extreme to the extent that it damages the self-confidence in both partners. The person with bad breath feels unattractive, defensive and embarrassed. The other partner starts feeling like they are no longer attracted to their boyfriend or girlfriend because of the bad breath.

Stimulates discomfort between partners:

If not quickly treated, bad breath can make your partner uncomfortable. Regardless of how much you love someone, halitosis can ruin or cause a rift in your relationship. It can be that terrible, and only a few people can tolerate this situation.

Makes pregnancy almost impossible:

Reports have it that halitosis can make it harder for women to conceive. A study shows that women who had gum diseases took two months longer to conceive than those without. The researchers suggested that it could be due to excessive inflammation. With a direct relationship between oral hygiene and conceiving, you can imagine how challenging this can be for partners who want to have a baby.

Halitosis, as an intimacy destroyer:

Being malodorous can damage sexual intimacy and make it challenging to share bonding experiences with your partner. This is because kissing is a primary component of foreplay, which is absent due to the partner’s bad breath. When you have bad breath regularly, you might end up omitting kissing intimacy from your relationship altogether, thus making it a long-term issue that may result in the ruining of your relationship.

Ultimately, halitosis certainly fosters disgust and it’s a big turn off that can elicit frequent quarrels and destroy mutual bonds if it’s not quickly arrested by self-realisation and medical solutions.

‘Saving your relationship for the effects of bad breath’ is adapted from UPCOMING Blog

Watch out for our tips on how to prevent bad breath

Meiza Nigeria