Correlation of oral hygiene practices, smoking and oral health conditions with self perceived halitosis amongst undergraduate dental students

Abstract

Objective:The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of oral hygiene practices, smoking habits and halitosis among undergraduate dental students and correlating the oral hygiene practices, oral health conditions to the prevalence of self perceived oral malodour.Materials and Methods:A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 277 male and female students. A questionnaire was developed to assess the self-reported perception of oral breath, awareness of bad breath, timing of bad breath, oral hygiene practices, caries and bleeding gums, dryness of the mouth, smoking and tongue coating.Results:The results indicate female students had better oral hygiene practices. Significantly less self-reported oral bad breath (P = 0.007) was found in female dental students (40%) as compared to their male counterparts (58%). It was found that smoking and dryness of mouth had statistically significant correlation with halitosis (P = 0.026, P = 0.001). Presence of other oral conditions such as tongue coating and dental caries and bleeding gums also showed higher prevalence of halitosis in dental students.Conclusion:A direct correlation exists between oral hygiene practices and oral health conditions with halitosis. Females exhibited better oral hygiene practices and less prevalence of halitosis as compared to male students.

The effect of periodontal therapy on intra‐oral halitosis: a case series

“…Other self-perceived factors reported to be related to halitosis are poor health status, overweight or obese, stress, lower economic levels, high intake of fast food, instant noodles and the low intake of fruits and vegetables (Kim et al 2015). Among undergraduate dental students the prevalence of self-perceived halitosis was found to significant correlate with smoking and dryness of mouth (Setia et al 2014). …”

Impact of Different Oral Hygiene Aids for the Reduction of Morning Bad Breath Among Dental Students: A Crossover Clinical Trial

“…Non-oral sources of breath odor are generally related to systemic problems and/or medications including conditions such as diabetes, liver and kidney disorders, and pulmonary disease. Some medications, especially those that reduce salivary flow such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, narcotics, decongestants, antihistamines, and antihypertensive drugs contribute towards non-oral sources of breath odor [6]. …”

“…VSCs are produced by the degradation of food debris, desquamated cells, saliva proteins, dental plaque and microbial putrefaction by a variety of oral anaerobic organisms which include Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Treponema denticola, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Tannerella forsythensis, Porphyromonas endodontalis and Eubacterium species [2,6]. These organisms are recoverable in huge numbers from the periodontal pockets, gingival crevicular fluid, tongue, predominantly where coating of tongue is prominent [7].…”

Providing Preventive Advice by Dental Hygienist, and Preventive Methods of Oral Diseases Among Adults, in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“…This value is on the higher side of the range mentioned. Oral and dental health care of non-smokers has been found to be better than that of smokers (37).A direct correlation was found to exist between oral hygiene practices and oral hygiene conditions associated with halitosis (38). 21% of the participants suffer any bad mouth smell.…”