The primary source of breath odor is sulfur gases resulting from the putrifaction of sulfur-amino acids in oral epithelial cells, saliva, blood elements and food debris in the mouth by oral bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide and methylmercaptan (H2S and CH3SH, respectively) are the principal odor molecules, and these are detectable in air at the parts per billion level.

These compounds are readily oxidized and destroyed by the oxidant chlorine dioxide (Cl02), which has long been used to disinfect and deodorize municipal water supplies worldwide. Chlorine Dioxide is uniquely effective in oxidizing odoriferous, organic compounds such as those responsible for bad breath.

There have been many attempts to make a mouthrinse that contains chlorine dioxide to combat bad breath, The most conspicuous of these have been rinses that contain a chemical called sodium chlorite which is a salt used in the manufacture of chlorine dioxide. Because it is a chemical precursor of chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite is also called "stabilized chlorine dioxide" despite the fact that it contains no chlorine dioxide.

"Stabilized chlorine dioxide" rinses were introduced in the 1970's and claimed the benefits of chlorine dioxide without any substantiating research. Today we still have "stabilized chlorine dioxide" rinses such as Oxyfresh® and Dr. Katz's Therabreath® which are marketed with claims as though they contain chlorine dioxide although they do not.

In 1992, Dr. Jon L. Richter developed a new formula for a chlorine dioxide mouthrinse that maintains a constant concentration of 25-35 mg per liter of chlorine dioxide over a period of six months after activation. Each bottle is activated by the user upon opening. The ProFresh formula is U.S.Patented. By law this formula cannot be duplicated, and as a result, no other brand of mouthrinse may include chlorine dioxide as an ingredient. ProFresh is also registered with the FDA.

Recent studies confirm that the effect of "stabilized chlorine dioxide" mouthrinses on bad breath odorants are negligible compared to ProFresh Chlorine Dioxide Oral Rinse!