Self Perceived Halitosis and Oral Hygiene Practice Among Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Students in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Background- Halitosis is perceptibly unpleasant or offensive odors emanating from the mouth while exhaling during breathing and per se does not imply any particular cause or source The aim of this study was to estimate the self-reported prevalence and extent of awareness of halitosis among dental students to assess its prevalence, relationship between halitosis and self-reported symptoms of oral health and oral hygiene practices. Materials and methods- The Structured questionnaire consisted of 3 parts in which first part was related to gender, age, and educational level, second was participant’s perception of any malodor and its history and social effects and third was concerned with oral hygiene practice and health habits and involved dental students from the 5 dental colleges. Out of the 500 questionnaires distributed, 180 were filled and returned with overall response rate of 36%. From these responses, the incomplete questionnaires were discarded and, 152 were selected for analysis. The age range of the participants was between 17-47 yrs. Females and males accounted for 80.9% and 19.1% respectively. The prevalence of self-perceived halitosis was 17% among the males and 45.5% among the female participants. Conclusion-Our results indicate that the prevalence of self-perceived malodor among dental students is in the similar range reported by other studies. However, these findings need to be corroborated by objective examination to ascertain the prevalence.