Antibiotic Overprescription

266 million antibiotic prescriptions are written annually in the US for a population of approximately 300 million people. The near one-to-one ratio of antibiotic prescriptions to US population indicates massive overprescription. Antibiotics kill beneficial and harmful bacteria indiscriminately, destroying the microbiome that controls pathogenic bacteria and yeast. After antibiotics deplete beneficial bacteria, opportunistic pathogens proliferate unchecked and produce persistent bad breath. Antibiotic overuse is the single most important underlying driver of chronic halitosis and bad body odor. A history of recurrent infections often leads to repeated antibiotic courses, which compounds the resistance problem over time.