ANNE BOSY, aka the "BREATH DOC": Professor, Researcher, Clinical Director & Co-Founder of Toronto's Fresh Breath Clinic.

In addition to receiving her Dental Hygiene diploma from the University of Toronto, Anne also completed a Bachelor of Science Degree, a Master of Education Degree and a research Master of Science Degree at the University of Toronto. Anne became the first person to attain a Master of Science in Oral Malodour at the University and gained international recognition as a result of her ground-breaking research.

Anne's research was directed at populations with persistent oral malodour, or bad breath. This research led to some pivotal findings that oral malodour, previously associated mainly with periodontitis, was as prevalent in individuals that had healthy tissues. Further, there was no significant difference in the intensity of the odour between the two groups. This new information confirmed the need for a clinic specializing exclusively in the assessment & treatment of oral malodour problems.

Anne organized and operated the Halitosis Assessment Clinic at the University of Toronto for three years until its successful completion in 1993. The Fresh Breath Clinic was founded by Anne Bosy & dentist Julian Geller in November of that year. As clinical director Anne designed and developed the Clinic's unique protocols, incorporating microbial analysis and a detailed assessment of the patient's systemic and oral health. This rigorous scientific approach results in a very clear picture of the specific microbial imbalances in the mouth of each individual as well as any contributing health and lifestyle factors. The malodour-causing imbalance can then be treated very precisely with special medicated rinses also developed by Anne.

Anne has presented her ongoing research in Oral Malodour at The International Association of Dental Research, and at research symposia in Canada, the United States, Europe, Sweden, and Japan.

Anne has authored numerous published research articles on the topic of oral malodour in international dental journals as well as the popular press (a history of media appearances can be found here).

Anne's commitment to dental hygiene education has helped her develop considerable expertise in dental health, including the role of nutrition in maintaining healthy oral tissues. Anne also developed expertise in microbiology and oral biofilm during her ongoing work as a researcher and as a specialised clinician at the Fresh Breath Clinic. The clinic assists thousands of patients annually with malodour issues.

The BreathDoc in her own words: a career in a nutshell

As a new dental hygienist with a diploma in Dental Hygiene from the University of Toronto, Ontario, I began my career in Vancouver, British Columbia, as that province’s 6th registered dental hygienist. During my four years in B.C. I had the opportunity to work with hypnosis as a vehicle to help children accept dental treatment. Upon returning to Ontario my interests took me back to children’s dentistry, and I spent several years in Dr. Art Wood’s practice where I learned much about sports safety and mouthguards.

In a new turn of events, I found myself (and my young family) working in the Caribbean island of Barbados as a volunteer for Canadian University Services Overseas (CUSO) with the mandate to improve the delivery of dental public health services to the children of the island. Perseverance was required and I had learned that early in life, having grown up on a farm in Saskatchewan! After a most interesting and successful two years working with the Barbadian Ministry of Health, Toronto became home again. Fueled by my new insight into public health, I took up employment with the Region of Peel Dental Public Health Services. To improve my knowledge and my usefulness in this field, I enrolled in a new course that taught dental hygienists to restore teeth. This led me to a new career as a professor at George Brown College in Toronto where I am still employed after 30 years, albeit now on a part time basis.

During the early years at George Brown, I completed my Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees, taking several courses at night and during the College’s summer breaks. My degree in education focused on computer applications and course design, and this shaped much of what I did at the College. An opportunity to further my education through a research Master of Science became available in 1990 and I found myself immersed in the problems of people who experienced bad breath and bad taste. They had no one who would listen or offer help. The time spent with this research shaped the way the Fresh Breath Clinic was designed, resulting in the unique services we now provide to halitosis sufferers from all over the world.

As the BreathDoc, I hope to share both science and life stories to help people understand the complexities of the problem that we casually call bad breath.