Mom, daughter taste stigma of bad breath

Dear Harriette: I have been told by numerous people that my wife and oldest daughter are “drop dead” gorgeous and that I am a lucky man.

Granted, they are in fact very beautiful women. The only problem is that they both have developed a bad-breath problem.

I can literally taste their breath from across the room. I have found myself waiting until my wife is asleep before retiring to the couch or spare bedroom. In the past two years, I have tried many times to talk to them about it as kindly as I know how, but they always end up in tears and nothing changes.

As I do all of the cooking in our home, I have even tried to vary our diet, but nothing seems to help. It is bad enough for me to be around them, but it tears my heart out to watch people shy away from them in public.

My daughter feels badly that she never gets asked out, which also hurts me. It is not a grooming problem, as they both brush and gargle often. Could you please point me in the right direction to solve this problem? — Raymond, Salt Lake City, Utah

Dear Raymond: Call your family doctor and ask him or her about what the possible causes may be. Talk about diet, health considerations and anything else the doctor may have in mind. Ask your doctor to call them in for a checkup.

Believe it or not, some fairly significant health issues can lead to “bad breath.” Among them: tooth decay, kidney disease, diabetes and a host of other illnesses. Since both your wife and daughter have this problem, it’s worth exploring.

The medical professional may do so more expeditiously than your gentle reminders.