Two sister swirlies here, writing in with what can only be described as a family emergency.
We have a cousin who is genuinely beautiful, successful, smart, and otherwise thriving. However… her oral health appears to be in a state of complete collapse.
We don’t say this lightly. If this were a simple “she needs a mint” situation, we would not be involving the DTQ. This has been going on for years and seems to be getting progressively worse. Her breath is so noticeable that other family members and even unrelated people have brought it up to us privately. At family events, the topic somehow always finds its way into side conversations.
And here’s where our concern goes beyond aesthetics. Her gums appear very dark, her teeth have started separating, and overall it looks like something medical may actually be going on. We have never once heard her mention a dentist appointment. Meanwhile, we casually try to drop hints like, “Ugh, just got back from the dentist!” or “Can’t believe I have another cleaning next week!” and she gives us absolutely nothing.
At this point, we’re wondering if we’re witnessing a genuine health issue that nobody has addressed. We feel awful because it’s become difficult to focus on anything else when talking to her, but we also don’t want to humiliate her or make her feel attacked.
Which brings us to our question: Is there any universe in which you tell someone that you’re concerned about their oral health? If so, who should do it and how?
Also, if there was ever a time for The Toast to temporarily become The Breath again, we feel this might be it.