What would you rather talk about than bad breath?

When it comes to topics that are taboo in polite conversation, bad breath often ranks near the top, even though the vast majority of adults have, or have suffered from, it. Even among non-grata issues between friends, halitosis often takes the cake.

A 1921 issue of the American Magazine offers some examples. An advertisement titled "Ask your best friend if you dare!" asks how well you truly know your peers if discussing oral odor is off limits.

"You may even get intimate enough with some friends of yours to swap the real truth about your income tax and about many other very personal things," the periodical suggests in all naivety. Today's magazines would no doubt list those "other very personal things" in lurid detail, but even so, the fact remains that most people simply don't speak of bad breath.

"Halitosis is one of the least talked about of human afflictions," the ad adds, which means that it was as important then as it is today to treat oral odor before it gets out of hand.

Using a specialty breath freshening product that neutralizes morning breath, garlic breath, smoker's breath and other forms of halitosis can keep the issue of bad breath safely tabled.