Origin of halitosis

  • In almost 90% of cases the cause for halitosis is microbial putrefaction of
    – food debris
    – defoliated epithelial cells
    – saliva
    – blood
    (Filippi & Meyer 2004, Porter & Scully 2006) (see section “Microbiology and chemistry of oral halitosis”).
  • Halitosis reflects complex interactions between several oral, mostly anaerobic, gram-negative bacteria.
  • There is no specific bacterial strain that is responsible for the condition.