Transient and chronic are the two most common types of  bad breath (halitosis).  Transient bad breath is a temporary odor caused by conditions such as dry mouth, stress, hunger (ketosis), eating certain foods such as garlic and onions, smoking, and poor oral hygiene.  Chronic bad breath is a serious and highly persistent condition.  This condition is usually caused by an overpopulation of certain types of oral bacteria.

In a recent article in the Journal of Periodontology it was determined that the best way to get rid of bad breath was through the combination of initial periodontal therapy, excellent oral hygiene which includes scrubbing of the tongue, and most importantly regular use of an oral rinse. An abstract of this article is the lead item in our reference section.