It is a problem that has caused many to suffer in silence, but now a clinic is opening in Hong Kong dedicated to eradicating bad breath.
The Fresh Breath Centre at Prince Philip Dental Hospital in Sai Ying Pun comes equipped with a device that measures the extent of a patient's problem.
The halimetre objectively detects if patients have bad breath based on the level of volatile sulphur compounds in their mouth.
Those with a reading of 200 or more have a serious problem.
'I think we've always been aware that lack of fresh breath can be a bit of problem in Hong Kong,' said Philip Newsome, associate professor of the faculty of dentistry at the University of Hong Kong.
'It's the sort of thing that people don't want to talk about, yet it can severely impact their personal and professional lives.'