The relationship of oral malodor in patients with or without periodontal disease

Background: Halitosis has been correlated with the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) produced in the oral cavity by metabolic activity of bacteria colonizing the periodontal area and the dorsum of the tongue. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is some relationship between the presence of N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-2-napthylamide (BANA)positive species Treponema denticola, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Bacteroides forsythus and clinical and oral malodor parameters.Methods: Twenty-one subjects (21 to 59 years old) with probing depths (PD) >3.0 mm and 20 subjects (21 to 63 years old) with PD less than or equal to3.0 mm (controls) participated. The quality of the mouth air was assessed organoleptically, and a portable sulfide monitor was used to measure the concentration of VSC. Clinical parameters, plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI), were obtained from 6 teeth. Samples for BANA test were taken from the dorsal surface of the tongue, saliva, and the 6 reference teeth.Results: the scores of PI, GI, subgingival samples that tested positive for BANA hydrolyzing species, organoleptic ratings, and VSC values were significantly higher in the subjects with PD >3.0 mm (P <0.01, Mann-Whitney U test). There was a correlation between BANA hydrolysis by subgingival plaque bacteria and VSC values (r = 0.55, P <0.01), and between GI and VSC values (r = 0.48, P <0.05) in patients with PD >3.0 mm. There was no significant correlation between these parameters in the control group.Conclusion: These results confirm that the BANA hydrolyzing bacteria in the subgingival plaque are an important source of malodor production in the oral cavity.

Halitose na geriatria: diagnóstico, causas e prevalência

Halitosis is the unpleasant odor of exhaust air through the mouth and lungs. There are over 50 causes, and approximately 90% of cases, is of oral origin. May have physiological origin (stress, breath of morning, fasting, and inappropriate diets), local reasons (bad oral hygiene, bacterial plaque retained on the tongue and/or tonsils, lower production of saliva, gum disease) or systemic reasons (diabetes, kidney or liver problems, constipation, etc.). In the Third Age, this problem tends to increase significantly. Thus, the aim of this study was to detect the presence of halitosis in the geriatric group attended in the dental clinic of UNIRP, identifying their incidence and principal causes. The sample consisted of 48 volunteer patients aged 60 years or older and included more than 90% of patients treated in this age group. It was performed a anamnesis and physical examination. The intra-oral halitosis was detected using a breath meter (halimeter). In the group studied, approximately 54.16% had halitosis, 84.61% of these were users of the prosthesis. The tongue coating was present in 80.76% of individuals with halitosis. After brushing the tongue, 88.46% of patients with halitosis have had the initial index oral malodor decreased. Based on the results of this study it was concluded that factors as dental prostheses and tongue coating are critical factors in causing halitosis.

Prevalence of halitosis in young male adults: a study in swiss army recruits comparing self-reported and clinical data

BACKGROUND: Sound epidemiologic data on halitosis are rare. We evaluated the prevalence of halitosis in a young male adult population in Switzerland using a standardized questionnaire and clinical examination. METHODS: Six hundred twenty-six Swiss Army recruits aged 18 to 25 years (mean: 20.3 years) were selected as study subjects. First, a standardized questionnaire focusing on dental hygiene, self-reported halitosis, smoking, and alcohol consumption was filled out by all participants. In the clinical examination, objective values for the presence of halitosis were gathered through an organoleptic assessment of the breath odor and the measurement of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). Additionally, tongue coating, plaque index, and probing depths were evaluated for each recruit. RESULTS: The questionnaire revealed that only 17% of all included recruits had never experienced halitosis. The organoleptic evaluation (grades 0 to 3) identified eight persons with grade 3, 148 persons with grade 2, and 424 persons with grade 1 or 0. The calculation of the Pearson correlation coefficient to evaluate the relationship among the three methods of assessing halitosis revealed little to no correlation. The organoleptic score showed high reproducibility (kappa = 0.79). Tongue coating was the only influencing factor found to contribute to higher organoleptic scores and higher VSC values. CONCLUSIONS: Oral malodor seemed to pose an oral health problem for about one-fifth of 20-year-old Swiss males questioned. No correlation between self-reported halitosis and organoleptic or VSC measurements could be detected. Although the organoleptic method described here offers a high reproducibility, the lack of correlation between VSC values and organoleptic scores has to be critically addressed. For further studies assessing new organoleptic scores, a validated index should always be included as a direct control.

The short-term treatment effects on the microbiota at the dorsum of the tongue in intra-oral halitosis patients-a randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVES This study aims to assess the effects of rinsing with zinc- and chlorhexidine-containing mouth rinse with or without adjunct tongue scraping on volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in breath air, and the microbiota at the dorsum of the tongue. MATERIAL AND METHODS A randomized single-masked controlled clinical trial with a cross-over study design over 14 days including 21 subjects was performed. Bacterial samples from the dorsum of the tongue were assayed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. RESULTS No halitosis (identified by VSC assessments) at day 14 was identified in 12/21 subjects with active rinse alone, in 10/21 with adjunct use of tongue scraper, in 1/21 for negative control rinse alone, and in 3/21 in the control and tongue scraping sequence. At day 14, significantly lower counts were identified only in the active rinse sequence (p < 0.001) for 15/78 species including, Fusobacterium sp., Porphyromonas gingivalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Tannerella forsythia. A decrease in bacteria from baseline to day 14 was found in successfully treated subjects for 9/74 species including: P. gingivalis, Prevotella melaninogenica, S. aureus, and Treponema denticola. Baseline VSC scores were correlated with several bacterial species. The use of a tongue scraper combined with active rinse did not change the levels of VSC compared to rinsing alone. CONCLUSIONS VSC scores were not associated with bacterial counts in samples taken from the dorsum of the tongue. The active rinse alone containing zinc and chlorhexidine had effects on intra-oral halitosis and reduced bacterial counts of species associated with malodor. Tongue scraping provided no beneficial effects on the microbiota studied. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Periodontally healthy subjects with intra-oral halitosis benefit from daily rinsing with zinc- and chlorhexidine-containing mouth rinse.

Organoleptic assessment of halitosis for dental professionals - general recommendations

An organoleptic assessment of an odor is defined as a method that can measure the strength of target odors and expresses the value in terms of a point or number with reference to a pre-defined organoleptic scale. Organoleptic assessments are performed using different scales and are used widely in industry (e.g. for measuring the effectiveness of anti-odor agents), in research (to discover relationships between bad breath and microbiology of the tongue, or the generation of particular volatile compounds), but it is also a prerequisite for the diagnosis of halitosis in individual patients required before directing appropriate treatment. An organoleptic assessment of halitosis patients may be carried out in specialized institutions but--based on the fact that in most cases the odor originates from oral structures--also by dental professionals including general dental practitioners (GDPs). Thus, this paper describes the scientific background for recommendations on how a GDP or dental hygienist or general practitioner with cases of bad breath should use organoleptic methods as a valid approach to assess malodor in patients, with a view to diagnosis and treatment, and subsequent treatment monitoring.

Development of an odor management plan for industrial stationary sources in an urban environment: A case study for Broward County, Florida

Objectionable odors remain at the top of air pollution complaints in urban areas such as Broward County that is subject to increasing residential and industrial developments. The odor complaints in Broward County escalated by 150 percent for the 2001 to 2004 period although the population increased by only 6 percent. It is estimated that in 2010 the population will increase to 2.5 million. Relying solely on enforcing the local odor ordinance is evidently not sufficient to manage the escalating odor complaint trends. An alternate approach similar to odor management plans (OMPs) that are successful in managing major malodor sources such as animal farms is required. ^ This study aims to develop and determine the feasibility of implementing a comprehensive odor management plan (COMP) for the entire Broward County. Unlike existing OMPs for single sources where the receptors (i.e. the complainants) are located beyond the boundary of the source, the COMP addresses a complex model of multiple sources and receptors coexisting within the boundary of the entire county. Each receptor is potentially subjected to malodor emissions from multiple sources within the county. Also, the quantity and quality of the source/receptor variables are continuously changing. ^ The results of this study show that it is feasible to develop a COMP that adopts a systematic procedure to: (1) Generate maps of existing odor complaint areas and malodor sources, (2) Identify potential odor sources (target sources) responsible for existing odor complaints, (3) Identify possible odor control strategies for target sources, (4) Determine the criteria for implementing odor control strategies, (5) Develop an odor complaint response protocol, and (6) Conduct odor impact analyses for new sources to prevent future odor related issues. Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to identify existing complaint areas. A COMP software that incorporates existing United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air dispersion software is developed to determine the target sources, predict the likelihood of new complaints, and conduct odor impact analysis. The odor response protocol requires pre-planning field investigations and conducting surveys to optimize the local agency available resources while protecting the citizen's welfare, as required by the Clean Air Act. ^

Halitose

A halitose é uma condição ou alteração do hálito, sendo caracterizada por um hálito desagradável emitido pela expiração. Segundo a Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), é considerado um problema de saúde, visto que afeta cerca de 40% da população mundial. Este problema causa desconforto e constrangimento social, sendo assim um limitador da qualidade de vida e da autoestima de quem a padece. Atualmente sabe-se que a halitose pode ser caracterizada como verdadeira, pseudo-halitose ou halitofobia. A halitose verdadeira pode ser uma halitose patológica ou fisiológica. A sua etiologia é multifatorial e o seu tratamento é multidisciplinar. Por outro lado, tanto a pseudo-halitose como a halitofobia provêm do foro psicológico, sendo necessário a ajuda de um psicólogo ou psiquiatra. Existem vários testes de diagnóstico (halímetro, cromatografia gasosa, BANA, entre outros) para avaliar a presença e a severidade desta patologia. O tratamento desta patologia consiste na eliminação das cáries e doenças periodontais, dando instruções de higiene oral para reforçar a escovagem dentária, o uso do fio dentário e a higiene das próteses. O aconselhamento dietético e a limpeza da língua também são essenciais, como também o controlo do biofilme com anti-séticos orais (Abreu et alii., 2011; Machado et alii., 2008). O objetivo desta revisão bibliográfica assenta na determinação de diversas possibilidades de prevenção e tratamento bem como a sua eficácia, sendo esta fundamental para o reconhecimento e correta interpretação da halitose. A pesquisa bibliográfica sobre o tema “Halitose: da etiologia ao tratamento” foi realizada essencialmente em motores de busca como o Pubmed e a Scielo, em três idiomas, Português, Inglês e Espanhol. selecionando artigos na sua maioria entre os anos 2006-2016. O médico médico dentista tem como função, na maioria dos casos, de tratar esta patologia ou então, quando não está associada à cavidade oral, reencaminhar o paciente para a especialidade médica adequada. Contudo, é de salientar que o paciente também possui um papel ativo no tratamento e na manutenção da halitose.