Dear Dr. Donohue: Please discuss the relationship between bad
breath and liver and kidney problems -- diagnosis, treatment and
cure. -- D.H. Dear D.H.: Nine times out of 10, people need not
implicate the liver or kidney as the source of bad breath. Its
source can usually be found in the mouth. An overgrowth of mouth
bacteria converts food into sulfur compounds that are the
olfactory equivalents of rotten eggs. Ridding the mouth of
bacteria usually also rids the mouth of unpleasant breath. Floss
religiously. Brush the tongue with toothpaste every time you
brush the teeth. If you are not one who easily gags, gently
scrape the back of the tongue with a plastic spoon turned upside
down. A dry mouth also spawns mouth odors. Don't let the mouth
hang open during sleep. Ask your spouse if it does. If the
answer is yes, keep it closed by looping an elastic band under
the chin and over the head. Meat assists mouth bacteria in
production of foul-smelling sulfur compounds. Cut down on meat
and increase portions of grains