Journal of Bioengineering & Biomedical Science

Oral Malodor: A Common Oral Problem

Abstract

Nalini Saini

Oral malodor, also called halitosis or bad breath, is universally experienced condition that has a variety of etiologic factors. It is extremely common and majority of adult population have had it at some point in time. Halitosis may be physiological, pathological, and sometimes psychological also. Although numerous non-oral sites and many different causes have been correlated to bad breath, an estimated 80 percent to 90 percent of all bad breath odors originate from the mouth, and bacteria are directly responsible for most of the offensive gases. Specific groups of bacteria have been identified with the production of oral malodor, in particular, gram- negative, anaerobic bacteria. The unpleasant smell of breath mainly originates from volatile sulfide compounds (VSCs), especially hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methylmercaptan (CH3SH), and dimethylsulfide [(CH3)2S] result from the proteolytic degradation of peptides present in saliva, shed epithelium, food debris and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). This article reviews the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of oral malodor and gives a brief description of Halitosis Associated Life-quality Test (HALT) questionnaire, a specific 20-item quality-of-life measure for halitosis.