For millions of people, bad breath—or halitosis—is more than a minor inconvenience. It’s a chronic issue that can deeply impact self-confidence, ruin social interactions, and diminish quality of life. If you’ve tried every mouthwash, mint, and gum on the market without success, you know that masking the problem isn’t a real solution.

But what if you could eliminate the problem at its source?

At the office of Dr. Joe Nemeth, a world-renowned treatment protocol is changing lives by not just covering up bad breath, but eliminating it. According to Beth, a treatment coordinator at the practice, the key is a scientific approach that starts with precise testing.

It All Starts with Testing: Do You Really Have Halitosis?

Many people think they have bad breath based on a single negative experience—someone handing them a mint or subtly covering their nose. But a subjective feeling isn’t a diagnosis. The first step in our permanent bad breath treatment is to get objective proof.

“Our appointments are two-part appointments,” explains Beth. “The first part of the appointment is the testing. We do three different tests to determine if you have the bad breath and, if you do, if we recommend our treatment for you.”

This diagnostic phase is critical. Here are the three tests used to get a definitive answer:

1. The Halimeter Test: You simply breathe into a small tube connected to a machine called a Halimeter. This device scientifically measures the volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in your breath—the gases produced by bacteria that are the primary cause of halitosis. It provides a precise number, taking the guesswork out of the diagnosis.
2. The BANA Test: This test uses a small strip to collect a saliva sample. It specifically detects the presence of key anaerobic bacteria known to cause gum disease and severe bad breath. It gives another layer of data on the specific type and concentration of bacteria in your mouth.
3. The Gauze Test: This is the simplest, yet most revealing test. A team member will wipe a piece of gauze in the areas of your mouth where odor-causing bacteria tend to build up, such as the back of the tongue. “We’re going to actually smell that gauze,” Beth notes, “and we’re going to make you smell that too, so you smell the same thing that we’re smelling.”

Based on the combined results of these three tests, the team can confirm whether a true bacterial problem exists and recommend the treatment.

The Treatment: Eliminating the Cause

If the tests confirm a halitosis-causing bacterial imbalance, and you decide to proceed, the treatment is performed in the same appointment. The entire visit, including testing and treatment, takes about three hours—a streamlined process that allows international patients from as far as South Africa, Mongolia, and all over the U.S. to get the help they need in a single day.

The in-office treatment is designed to eliminate the deep-seated bacteria causing the odor. But the secret to making the results permanent lies in what you do afterward.

The Key to Permanent Success: Your Home Care Kit

“If the treatment is done right and you keep up with your home care as we instruct, you should not have bad breath anymore,” says Beth. “You shouldn’t even wake up with morning breath.”

Every patient receives a professional home care kit and detailed instructions on how to use it. This regimen is designed to prevent the harmful bacteria from coming back, ensuring your results last. While eating pungent foods like garlic or onions will still cause temporary breath odor, the prescribed home care routine will quickly eliminate it, returning your breath to its new, neutral state.

The success stories speak for themselves. Patients who were once shy and self-conscious are now “soaring through the roof” with confidence. They talk about seeing their tongue look pink for the first time and being thrilled to socialize again. This isn’t a cover-up; it’s a cure.

If you are ready to stop masking your bad breath and start living with true confidence, we would love to help.

To ask questions or schedule an appointment for bad breath testing and treatment, schedule an appointment.