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Objective: To develop and apply a detailed clinical protocol for screening and assessing subjects with a complaint of halitosis. Design: Cross-sectional. Subjects and methods: Several methods were used to recruit subjects with a complaint of halitosis, including a newspaper advertisement. A definition of halitosis arising from within the oral cavity, which is not related to generalized chronic gingivitis, chronic periodontitis or pathology of the oral mucosa was used. An extensive list of exclusion criteria was applied at the initial visit. Eligible subjects were asked to follow strict instructions and complete a questionnaire prior to their second visit for data collection. The clinical examination consisted of an organoleptic assessment, Halimeter® reading and periodontal examination. Results: The best method of recruiting subjects was advertising. Of 66 individuals recruited, four failed to attend the screening visit and 25 were excluded. The main reasons for exclusion were poor oral hygiene and existing periodontal disease. Thirty-seven completed the full protocol, resulting in identification of 18 with halitosis and 19 controls. Conclusions: Application of the exclusion criteria resulted in significant attrition of eligible participants. Our results suggest that organoleptic assessment should be regarded as a useful standard for defining subjects with halitosis.