As I stated, I used to frequent this board a lot back around 2011 or so but didn't really post much, just a few methods which I tried in my case. I'll go back over as much as I can remember and be as transparent as I can be. For me, my issues I started to notice some time around middle school, 8th grade to be exact. It wasn't terrible but I did get a few remarks which put me on notice. As a kid/teen my oral hygiene was just NOT the best. I barely brushed my teeth during summers and weekends which was terrible in hindsight. Constant junk food was a part of my diet. I just didn't really seem to care.
Jumping back to the 8th grade, some of my teeth, mainly molars, had developed deep cavities. I didn't think too much of it. A year later in 9th grade I got the worst comment I had ever received up to that point... that comment was that my breath smelled like "DOG BOO BOO" and I quote. I hit rock bottom at that point and began my journey to "finding a cure." I began taking hygiene seriously but to no avail. No amount of scrubbing or gargling helped one bit. Within a few hours, my issue was back. Now mind you, it was room filling if I talked long enough and I figured out it was in my best interest to speak as least as possible. This took a very bad toll on my self esteem and really held me back from just being a joyous person. It REALLY sucked.
I tried as much as a young 15/16 year old teen could, to try to "fix" my issue but nothing. I tried different toothpastes, mouthwashes, and other methods like pepto bismol, glycerin, etc. you name it, I tried it. Nothing. The first big thing I had managed to get done, was get a molar that had decayed to the root and caused excruciating pain removed. My parents had no choice but to have the procedure done to me, and I honestly hoped that it would help. It didn't. I still had my bad breath and that sucked because I was sure that the molar played a big part in it. This was 9th grade still, and it's sad to say that I went through the rest of my high school career with this issue until I graduated in 2013. It sucked, and I hated myself for it.
After graduation, I worked at a job and it was no different there. Coworkers would say sly remarks for instance: There was a conversation going on about tattoos and what people should get right, well I overheard one coworker tell another that I should get a tattoo of a "tic tac".. yea that didn't feel too good. I left that job in 2014 and began working for another job that payed really well, albeit stressful but I didn't care.
From 2014 to 2016, I worked this new job and around 2015 decided that I would begin saving money and try to get into a university. My issue affected me so much that I didn't do anything to prepare for college admissions while in high school. I told myself that I wasn't gonna hold my self back anymore so I went for it. Still during this time I had my issue because this job was an outside job and at times coworkers would comment saying if any of us had stepped in dog shit when that wasn't the case.
Fall 2016 comes around and I've managed to get myself into a college university. I had managed to save about 20k for myself to live on my own. I was honestly feeling really good about myself. Now my issue is still there. I had an English course that required speaking and I would notice my professor making faces to indicate he was being bothered by something. I was certain I knew what that something was as he offered me a stick of gum after class or said along the lines of "not everyone needs gum except for some people".. wink wink. whatever. Up to this point, I was still trying things here and there but I wasn't really bothered to be honest.
Now 2017 comes around and I had managed to convince a doctor to refer me to get my tonsils taken out. I still had some of that 20k I had saved up and figured why not get my tonsils removed. To me they served no purpose other than to smell bad because they did. I got them removed that summer and healed up. Still I had bad breath. At this point though, I honestly don't know if my bad breath began to lessen or just wasn't paying attention to it as much. Either way it was still there. I would also go and finally get my teeth cleaned twice a year under my mothers dental insurance that she got from her new job. Also, during this time that I had another molar pulled and one cleaned up and crowned. Smaller cavities I had cleaned and filled in. My mouth was honestly in the best shape I've ever had it up to that point. I still have like 2 cavities but they are very small and hope to get them done some time soon.
While all that was happening, I had managed to contract an STD... yea college
. I was given antibiotics to take twice a day for a week and I cleared right up. I noticed that my bad breath was either unnoticable or my smell was affected in some way, idk. Eventually it faded but again, it felt like either my bad breath was lessening or I just didn't pay attention to it anymore. All this happened up until 2019. In 2019 I met my current girlfriend and when it came to talking to her face to face, I did everything like a madman. I would brush and gargle extra throughout the day just to hope to keep my issue under control. The crazy part is she has never once commented on my issue whatsoever. idk why that is honestly. In 2019 I began to eat healthy in the sense that I stopped eating fast food. As boring as it may sound, I ate nothing but homemade pasta and veggies. That's all my diet consisted of for most of the week even up until now. In spring 2020, we broke up for reasons I don't want to talk about but we reconciled and got back together. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows as one of us got an STD and passed it to the other. We both went to the clinic and had to take 2 pills that the doctor described as it "basically kills everything in your system and doesn't care."
I wonder if that antibiotic along with everything else I've had done to myself up to this point has helped or not but I'd like to think it has. The reason being that with this pandemic going on and having to wear facemasks, I've noticed that if I don't go through my oral routine, I can easily smell by breath. If I do clean my mouth then its basically unnoticable. It's that simple. It makes me think that I don't really suffer from bb like I used to. Whereas it used to be chronic and all day, now it doesn't seem that way. I have a friend who I grew up with and I feel like I'm more like him now in the sense that when he used to spend the night, in the morning his breath would reek really bad and that's because he didn't have his toothbrush but the moment he brushed and gargled, it was as if he never had bb. That's where I feel like I'm at now honestly.
That's not to say I'm "cured" because if my mouth gets dry it can get funky. But I'm honestly at a point where it no longer plays a part on my mental like it used to. I don't really ever get any comments anymore either. If I feel like it's bad I'll go brush and gargle and it's weird because that gives me peace of mind whereas back then it wasn't that simple. I honestly don't know what to think but I'm in a way better place now than I was in 2011 that's for sure. I don't want to say I'm "cured" because I still truly don't know, but for some reason it feels like it's become a miniscule issue. At this point I'm 25 now and I'm finishing up school. My girlfriend is still with me. I have fraternity brothers that are great friends. It's weird how this issue has just kinda took a back seat. I feel for those that constantly feel affected by this problem because I was in those same shoes and probably still am to some degree. I just wanted to get this story out because, I don't know, maybe it can help some others in some way. I'm pretty much done with this story. If you took the time to read I applaude you because it has honestly been a long story. If anyone has any questions please feel free to shoot them my way, I'm more than glad to answer anything and help out.
