Halitosis

Oral malodor also called halitosis is an unpleasant odor excelled from the nose or mouth by expiration. The prevalence of halitosis is reported up to 50% and the first healthcare workers who help this kind of patients are dental practitioners. Halitosis is a multifactorial disease divided to genuine halitosis, pseudohalitosis, and halitophobia. The most common cause of halitosis is oral cavity (80-90%). The oral etiologies of halitosis are xerostomia, periodontal diseases, mucosal ulcers, tongue coating, dental implants, and oral infections. If the patient believes to have halitosis, it is called pseudohalitosis, and if the treatment for genuine or pseudohalitosis is accomplished but the patient insists to have it, it is called halitophobia. The anaerobic gram-negative bacteria are the major factor of halitosis. The most appropriate methods to detect and measure oral malodor are organoleptic based on the examiner’s perception of mouth odor, gas chromatography, and sulphid monitoring. Mechanical oral hygiene techniques such as proper use of mouth brushes, dental flosses and tongue brushes should be instructed to patients. They should rather to put fibrous foods in their daily diet and drink large amounts of water and keep their dentures clean. Antiseptic mouth washes are considered as a supplementary method to decrease oral malodor, and chlorhexidine is the most effective one.