Bad breath isn't a hygiene problem. It's a bacteria problem.
If mints and mouthwash stop working by mid-morning, the cause is below the surface — bacteria that brushing doesn't reach. The Oral Balance Test measures sixteen of them from one saliva sample you give at home, so you can start from what's actually there instead of guessing.
$199 · one-time · ships free
Not yet available in AK, CA, CT, HI, MD, MA, NJ, NY, RI.
Stop treating the smell. Find the source.
Persistent bad breath is usually produced by bacteria living below the gumline and on the tongue — not by the surfaces a toothbrush reaches. That's why better hygiene alone often doesn't settle it, and why knowing which organisms you actually have changes what you do next.
Masking isn't fixing
Brushing, flossing and mouthwash clean what you can reach. They don't stop the bacteria coming back beneath the surface — which is why the mint works for an hour and the problem doesn't go anywhere.
See what's actually there
Sixteen organisms, each named with its level — the ones associated with gum disease and imbalance, and the protective ones that are supposed to be keeping them in check.
Then check whether it moved
Change something, retest in 60 to 90 days, and compare. Each Detection Level step is roughly twice as much bacteria, so real movement is obvious rather than a matter of opinion.
One sample. Four steps.
No appointment, no fasting, no prep.
Order your kit
Buy online and we ship a complete saliva collection kit to your door — free.
Collect at home
Let saliva pool and spit into the tube until it reaches the line. About two minutes, no appointment, no swab and no blood.
Mail it back
Seal it in the prepaid return envelope and drop it in the mail. It goes straight to our CLIA-certified lab in Norman, Oklahoma.
Read your results
About a week from the day you mail it. Your full report lands in your private OraPath account with every organism listed in plain language.
The whole picture, in plain language.
You can read the entire five-page sample report before you order — every page, walked through, so you know exactly what turns up.
- All sixteen organisms, named Each with a category, a level, and a one-line note on what it does — including the bacteria associated with gum disease and imbalance.
- Protective versus disruptive How strong your beneficial bacteria are, and how much pressure the disruptive ones are putting on them.
- Questions to ask your dentist Persistent bad breath can accompany gum disease. The report gives you a short list to hand over at your next visit.
- When to check again A retest window matched to your result, so you can tell whether whatever you changed actually worked.
Straight answers
Does this actually measure my breath?
No, and it's worth being clear about that. There's no breathalyzer here and nothing that measures odor. What it measures is bacterial DNA in your saliva — sixteen specific organisms, at what level, plus how strong your protective bacteria are. Breath odor is produced by bacteria, so that picture is the useful starting point, but the report describes your microbiome rather than how your breath smells.
Why hasn't mouthwash fixed it?
Antiseptic mouthwashes don't pick favorites — they knock back the helpful bacteria right alongside the rest, which is one reason the "nuke everything" approach can backfire. They also work on the surfaces they touch, while the organisms most associated with odor sit below the gumline and on the back of the tongue. Your report shows where your protective and disruptive groups actually stand, which is a better basis for a decision than a general rule.
Could persistent bad breath mean something else?
Yes. Dry mouth, medications, sinus and throat conditions, reflux and other digestive issues can all cause it, and persistent bad breath can also accompany gum disease. This test doesn't diagnose any of those. If it's been going on a while, see a dentist — and bring the report, because it gives them something specific to work from.
What do I do if the result shows something?
The report names what was found and gives you a short list of questions to raise with your dentist, plus a retest window so you can tell whether whatever you change actually moves the numbers. Some people also start a daily oral probiotic during that window — that's an option, not a prescription, and it's worth discussing alongside your result.
Will the probiotic take care of it?
We won't promise that. Ora-Protek introduces beneficial strains to help crowd out harmful ones, and probiotic effects accumulate rather than switching on — most people using it consistently notice a difference in oral feel within six to eight weeks. Whether it moves your numbers is exactly what a retest at 60 to 90 days will tell you. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
How long until I get results?
Your report is ready within 2 business days of your sample reaching our lab — about a week from the day you mail it, once transit both ways is counted. It's the same validated test dental practices order, run in our own CLIA-certified, COLA-accredited lab. It has not been cleared or approved by the FDA.
Which states do you ship to?
We ship the at-home Balance Test to most US states, but not yet to AK, CA, CT, HI, MD, MA, NJ, NY, RI. Those states apply extra requirements to at-home lab testing, and we've held them back from this first launch rather than cut corners. We're working through them.
If you're in one of those states and want the test, ask your dental practice — they can order OraPath panels for you directly.
Pairs with the test
Ora-Protek daily oral probiotic
A daily dissolvable lozenge with 16 clinically studied strains, including BLIS K12 and M18. It introduces beneficial bacteria to help crowd out harmful strains — the thing to run during the window between your baseline test and your retest. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Multi-bottle pricing from $25.00 per bottle.
Find out what's actually producing it.
One saliva sample, collected at home in about two minutes, gets you every organism named and levelled — a baseline to work from, and something concrete to bring to your dentist instead of another packet of mints.
Results in your private OraPath account · not a diagnosis — it measures your oral microbiome and is meant to be reviewed with a dentist alongside an exam.