Study weighs contribution of bacteria to bad breath

Almost everyone is aware that pungent foods can leave a bad aroma in the mouth, but did you know that bacteria can cause halitosis after even the most odorless of meals? A pair of researchers from the University of Michigan recently explored this phenomenon.

Their findings, which appear in the Journal of the American Dental Association, indicate that anaerobic oral microbes have a major effect on the severity of bad breath.

In particular, the team determined that several strains of oral microorganisms emit the lion's share of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), which are compounds that the nose associates with halitosis. Among others, the species Treponema denticola, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Bacteroides forsythus and Fusobacterium were implicated in VSC production.

Furthermore, scientists found that reducing the size of bacterial colonies on the tongue led to decreases in oral odor. They noted that products designed to kill or replace microbes on the tongue and palate may be able to keep halitosis to a minimum.

In this regard, oral care probiotic products, like the M-18 Probiotic Kit, may be able to neutralize bad breath by replacing odor-causing bacteria with less irritating varieties.