European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Breath Odor can be defined as the subjective perception after smelling someone's breath. It can be pleasant, unpleasant, or even disturbing, if not repulsive. If unpleasant, the terms breath malodor, halitosis, or bad breath can be applied.
Breath malodor should not be confused with the momentarily disturbing odor caused by food intake (e.g., garlic) or smoking because these odors do not reveal a health problem. The same is true for "morning" bad breath, as habitually experienced on awakening. This malodor is caused by decreased salivary flow during the night and spontaneously disappears after breakfast or oral hygiene. A persistent breath malodor, by definition, does reflect some pathology.¹