Newbie here.
Firstly, I own shares in Blis Technologies who makes the K12 and M18 probiotics so feel free to take what I say with as big a grain of salt as you wish!
Secondly, I don't have bad breath. Never have. What I did used to have or more correctly get, was four or five colds a year. I have been taking K12 for about five years now and haven't had a cold in that time. I am the 'wellest' person I know!! For the last couple of years I have been taking it every day and I love it. The product I take (Ear Nose and Throat Defense) is only about $7 US for 50 tablets so it doesn't cost much on an annual basis and if it saves me half a day off work a year it has easily paid for itself!
You could check out
www.blisk12.com for more info on the probiotic if you like. You will see that it has multiple applications, not just bad breath, and most of the products currently available target things other than bad breath.
If you want to read some studies check out the following list. It is from 2008 but a Google will find more recent studies, especially on M18 (formerly called MIA)
http://blis.co.nz/userfiles/file/Misc/R ... ticles.pdf
Nestle are just finishing a three year clinical trial to determine the efficacy of including K12 in babies milk powder. Interesting aye?!!
Also Google Professor John Tagg. You will see thirty odd years of research about Strep salivarius. Only recently has K12 (and very recently M18) been commercialised.
One thing that may be news to many of you is that K12 (I don't know about M18) is an advanced probiotic. This means it actively targets competing bacteria and kills them by puncturing their cell wall (as I recall). This means they can set up house and grow it rather than just taking whatever space is free. This is important, as is the fact that S. salivarius is the dominant species in the oral cavity.
Sorry to read that in some cases this stuff doesn't work for your bad breath but I am curious if anybody has noticed any other benefits? Fewer colds. Blocked sinuses no longer an issue? Maybe you don't take it long enough to benefit in these ways? I'm not sure if you should (considering how infrequently you take it for BB) but I'm curious anyway.
Right, I shall now prepare myself for a barrage of replies attacking my 'hidden' agenda!
