title: Diet and halitosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present article reviews the current knowledge of halitosis with particular emphasis upon the interplay of diet and disease of the gastrointestinal tract upon oral malodour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transient-altered breath smell usually reflects the effects of foodstuffs, whereas longstanding halitosis is almost always because of oral disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis. There is, however, increasing evidence that upper gastrointestinal tract disease may give rise to halitosis and that extracts of foodstuffs may be future therapeutic agents for the treatment of halitosis derived from the mouth or upper gastrointestinal tract.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is some interplay between the halitosis and the gastrointestinal tract, and it is possible that the therapy of halitosis may be aided by investigations of the effects of foodstuffs upon bacteria that give rise to volatile sulphur compounds.
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK. S.porter@eastman.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D006209:Halitosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013457:Sulfur Compounds; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds