What Is the Difference Between Bad Breath and Halitosis?
For many people, there is no difference at all between bad breath and halitosis. The two terms are used interchangeably to identify a situation where the breath of an individual is highly stale and unpleasant. Even medical professionals often see no distinction between bad breath and halitosis, although there is a minor school of thought that identifies halitosis as an advanced form of bad breath, with the causes having nothing to do with poor oral hygiene. For those who do see some distinction between bad breath and halitosis, the difference usually has to do with the origin of the unpleasant odor of the breath. Halitosis is usually considered to be the result of some type of ongoing physical ailment, such as problems with digestion, the presence of cancer or diabetes somewhere in the body, or some other systemic disease that has either not been diagnosed or is not being treated effectively. By contrast, bad breath has to do with the presence of bacteria in the mouth, resulting in the
