Real People. Measurable Results.

Most patients begin to notice a difference within two to three weeks of starting the targeted antimicrobial protocol, once the DNA results have guided treatment selection. Measurable resolution — defined as a Halimeter® reading below 50 ppb — is typically achieved within four to eight weeks for bacterial and dry-mouth cases. GERD-linked or severe periodontal cases may take slightly longer, particularly where specialist co-management is involved. The average across all causes is six weeks to resolution, though your individual timeline depends entirely on which organism or mechanism is driving your odour and how quickly it responds to targeted treatment.

Resolution means your Halimeter® reading has reached and sustained below 50 ppb across consecutive follow-up visits — which is within the clinically normal range for oral VSC production. It is not a vague improvement in how you feel; it is a specific, objective number confirmed by instrument. We do not discharge patients on the basis of subjective reports. Some patients achieve readings in the 20–35 ppb range — essentially indistinguishable from the baseline of a person who has never had a halitosis concern. The distinction between "improved" and "resolved" matters to us because it determines whether the biological cause has been genuinely addressed or merely suppressed temporarily.

Non-response to a first protocol is uncommon but does occur — most often because a second contributing cause was not fully addressed in the initial plan, or because the bacterial species present require a modified antimicrobial approach. When a follow-up Halimeter® reading does not show the expected decline, we review the DNA results in detail, consider whether any specialist referral is indicated, and adjust the protocol. In some cases a second DNA test is run post-treatment to confirm whether target species have been eliminated or are persisting. We have not reached the end of options after one protocol — the diagnostic data gives us a clear path to step two.

Recurrence is possible — particularly for bacterial halitosis — because the oral microbiome is a dynamic environment that can be re-colonised by pathogenic species over time. This is why treatment includes a probiotic recolonisation phase following antimicrobial therapy: to establish a healthy bacterial population that is harder for pathogens to displace. Patients are given a maintenance protocol and advised on the specific hygiene and dietary factors that reduce recurrence risk for their identified cause. Patients whose underlying driver was GERD, medication-induced dry mouth, or structural tonsil anatomy require ongoing management of those primary conditions to prevent recurrence. We schedule a six-month check-in Halimeter® reading for all patients who have completed treatment.

We do not offer a commercial guarantee — halitosis is a medical condition, and no responsible clinician guarantees a medical outcome in advance. What we do offer is complete transparency: you will see every Halimeter® number at every visit, you will receive a copy of your DNA microbiome report, and every clinical decision will be explained with reference to your specific data. Our 93% resolution rate reflects patients who complete the full diagnostic and treatment protocol — it is not a marketing number, it is the outcome of treating causes rather than symptoms. For the 7% who do not achieve full resolution, this is typically because their underlying condition — severe GERD, advanced Sjögren's, or structural factors — requires ongoing specialist management beyond what our clinic alone can provide. In those cases we do not abandon the patient; we coordinate ongoing care.