A clinical study found that stannous fluoride toothpaste significantly reduced bad breath for up to 12 hours, with 81% overnight odor reduction on the first day and benefits lasting throughout the day with continued use.
- Stannous fluoride toothpaste reduced oral malodor for up to 12 hours after brushing compared to conventional sodium fluoride toothpaste.
- Users experienced an 81% reduction in bad breath overnight on Day 1 and 73% on Day 7.
- Sixty-nine percent to eighty percent of assessments showed no detectable odor on Day 1, improving to 61-92% by Day 7.
- Forty-nine adults participated in the randomized, crossover study with trained judges using validated odor intensity scales.
Oral malodor is more than a cosmetic concern. Research has shown that concerns about bad breath can affect social interactions, self-confidence, and quality of life, making it a frequent topic of discussion between patients and dental professionals. As a result, there is ongoing interest in oral care solutions that address both oral health and lasting breath freshness.
Patients increasingly want solutions that go beyond temporarily masking odors, addressing the underlying causes of malodor while also improving oral health. Oral malodor is often multifactorial, making effective and sustained management a challenge for both patients and clinicians.
New research on stannous fluoride toothpaste
Kimberly Milleman, RDH, PhD.Kimberly Milleman, RDH, PhD.
A new clinical study presented at the 2026 International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research General Session and Exhibition suggests that stannous fluoride toothpaste may help address this challenge. Researchers found that a new 0.45% stannous fluoride toothpaste (TheraBreath Healthy Gums) significantly reduced oral malodor compared with a conventional sodium fluoride toothpaste, with benefits demonstrated at four and eight hours after brushing and lasting up to 12 hours.
The study compared TheraBreath Healthy Gums with a sodium fluoride control toothpaste. The randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical trial enrolled 49 adults who completed all study phases. Oral malodor was assessed by three trained and calibrated organoleptic judges using a validated six-point odor intensity scale.
Participants who brushed with TheraBreath Healthy Gums experienced statistically significant reductions in oral malodor at every post-brushing assessment (p <0.0001). The study showed overnight reductions in oral malodor from baseline of 81% on Day 1 and 73% on Day 7.
The sodium fluoride toothpaste used as the control produced statistically significant (p <0.05) reductions from baseline only at the four-hour time point on Day 1 and Day 7.
The proportion of evaluations with no detectable oral malodor further demonstrated product efficacy. On Day 1, no odor was observed in 69% of overnight evaluations, 77% of evaluations conducted four hours post-brushing, and 80% of evaluations conducted eight hours post-brushing. Following seven days of product use, the proportion of odor-free evaluations was 61% overnight, 92% at four hours post-brushing, and 84% at eight hours post-brushing.
In contrast, the sodium fluoride control toothpaste achieved no detectable odor in only 2% of evaluations at four hours post-brushing and 1% of evaluations at eight hours post-brushing on Day 7.
The takeaway
For dental hygienists and other oral healthcare professionals, these findings highlight an important opportunity to meet a patient need that is often underaddressed in routine oral care.
While stannous fluoride toothpastes are well recognized for helping manage plaque, gingivitis, and overall gum health, these results demonstrate an additional benefit: significant and sustained reduction of oral malodor throughout the day.
By recommending TheraBreath Healthy Gums stannous fluoride toothpaste, which supports both oral health and malodor reduction, dental professionals can address a key quality of life concern and help patients feel more confident throughout the day.
Editor's note: References available upon request. Also, this study was funded by Church & Dwight Co. Inc.
Kimberly Milleman, PhD, MS, RDH, owns Salus Research in Fort Wayne, IN, which has earned the ADA Seal of Acceptance for independent research testing. She holds a doctorate in health science; has co-authored nearly 90 peer-reviewed publications; and has conducted more than 400 clinical trials in China, the U.S., and Guatemala.
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