Call it bad breath or halitosis; it's an acutely unpleasant situation that's the real reason for embarrassment. Many of us with bad breath aren't even aware there's a real problem. Oral malodor or breath odor, or most commonly -- bad breath -- is a term used to describe noticeably unpleasant odors when a person exhales. Acute bad breath -- the transient, temporary kind -- is a very common problem caused by such things as dry mouth, stress, hunger, the consumption of certain foods such as garlic and onions, smoking, or poor oral care. Morning breath is a typical example of transient bad breath. But chronic bad breath is a far more serious condition affecting up to a quarter of the population, though to different degrees, and often seriously harms the sufferer's ability to maintain close personal and business relationships. Halitosis is caused by the presence of an oversized colony of oral bacteria, and invariably requires creative and persistent treatment. Today, persistent halitosis is not clearly understood or even identified as a curable condition by most medical experts, so a simple plug-and-play treatment is difficult or impossible to find. Most of the treatments available to patients are mainly asymptotic -- meaning they don't relate to the patient's symptoms, but try a one-size-fits-all approach -- and are limited to controlling bad breath by mouth and breath fresheners. Though many breath clinics have sprung up like weeds all over the world, a large number are not really successful. However, a very small number of clinics use established methods of microbiological examination to diagnose which specific kinds of odor-causing bacteria have taken root in the patient's mouth. Those particular bacteria are then controlled by patient-specific treatments, which is generally more effective than the usual approach at offering relief. Though medical professionals don't completely understand the reasons behind bad breath, we know that most unpleasant odors occur due to food debris trapped in the mouth. It is really surprising to learn that tests can detect as many as 400 different types of bacteria in an average mouth! Bacteria is normal in any mouth, but the trouble starts when several dozen of these bacteria are allowed to flourish in large proportions, or reproduce in large numbers due to genetic mutation. Many species of these bacteria are usually found on the back of the tongue, where they find protection and security not only from normal mouth activity, but from the average toothbrush as well. The rough edges of our tongue also create a comfortable home for millions of these harmful bacteria, which create toxins by digesting debris, dead cells, and other residues. These toxins not only strain our immune systems, they add a distinctive and very unpleasant odor to the breath. Most of the worst-smelling bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they live and eat in the absence of oxygen. When these anaerobic bacteria respirate, or breathe, they lay down residual compounds in the mouth that reek of sulfides and ammonia. These nasty compounds often mix with the breath to form an aerosol of nausea and bad odor. There are a number of other, more serious causes of chronic bad breath as well, which include periodontitis (gum disease), diabetes, kidney failure, sinusitis, tonsilloliths, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and a wide variety of prescription drugs.