Bad breath--and we're talking persistent halitosis, not the temporary kind caused by that pastrami sandwich with extra onions you had for lunch--is caused by an organism with the scary name Solobacterium moorei.Doctors have long known that chronic bad breath is caused by a breakdown of bacteria in the mouth that produces rank-smelling sulfur compounds that thrive on the surface of the tongue. Tongue bacteria accounts for a whopping 80 percent to 90 percent of all cases of bad breath. Now a study from researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine has pinpointed the specific organism that causes bad breath in virtually all cases.The team examined 21 people with chronic bad breath and 36 people who did not have bad breath. The findings are astounding. Fully 100 percent of the patients with bad breath were infected with S. moorei. Four of those who didn't have bad breath were also infected with the organism, but all four of them had periodontitis, a gum infection that can also lead to bad breath. A previous study of eight patients with halitosis and five without had similar findings. Dr. Violet I. Haraszthy, who was involved in both studies, said that S. moorei was "always found in patients with halitosis and never in patients who did not have this problem."Not much is known about the S. moorei organism right now. "As we identify and find out more about the bacteria that cause bad breath, we can develop treatments to reduce their numbers in the mouth," said team member Betsy Clark in a university-issued statement. People who have S. moorei can brush twice a day with an antibacterial toothpaste containing Trisoclan, using a tongue scraper and rinsing with specifically designed mouth rinses that break down sulfur containing compounds. Our office is proud to have been offering such a mouthrinse to our patietns with great results.  If you have chronic bad breath or Halitisis feel free to speak to us about how our office can help.