Digging into a bowl of pasta topped with a garlicky scampi sauce certainly may fill the belly, but such a meal also can lead to bad breath. Halitosis, or bad breath, is often the catalyst for jokes.

“A majority of halitosis is caused by bacteria in the mouth, but it could also be an indicator to other health issues that may need to be addressed,” said Nicolaas Geurs, DDS, dean of the UAB School ...