HALITOSIS: VARIATIONS IN MOUTH AND TOTAL BREATH ODOR INTENSITY RESULTING FROM PROPHYLAXIS AND ANTISEPSIS

¹ Lambert Pharmacal Company St. Lowus, Mo.

I. Saliva putrifies rapidly on incubation, giving rise to very objectionable odors. Dilution with water does not hinder this decomposition. Dilution with only 6 per cent of the antiseptic prevents putrefaction completely. Lesser amounts restrict decomposition.

II. The application of water as a mouth rinse does not affect rate of putrefaction of saliva collected during subsequent two hours. The use of an antiseptic rinse results in a significant reduction in putrefiability; incubation of even the two-hour sample does not give pO of 3.

III. The antiseptic mouth rinse is diluted less than 20 per cent on the average during use in the conventional manner.

IV. Complete dental prophylaxis reduces mouth and breath odors to an unobjectionable level for more than two hours. It is apparent that many breath odors are oral rather than systemic in origin.

V. Tongue prophylaxis, by mechanical means only, reduces mouth and breath odors to a low level in many instances. However, 6 out of 17 subjects did not respond.

VI. Dentifrice used in the normal manner reduces mouth and breath odors materially, the odor level returning to the objectionable level in two hours. This is not a masking effect, as the odor of the dentifrice flavor disappeared in less than one-half hour.

VII. Water rinse is without effect on mouth and breath odors. The antiseptic rinse reduces these mouth and breath odors to a low level from which no significant recovery takes place within three hours. This is not a masking effect, as the odor of the rinse disappears in twenty minutes. The effect of the antiseptic is prolonged significantly beyond that of prophylaxis or dentifrice.

VIII. Stagnation of saliva in the mouth overnight can result in an odor intensity of objectionable level, even though the subject has a normally low daytime level. Water rinse does not reduce this odor materially. The antiseptic rinse removes the odor.

IX. Tobacco odors are materially reduced by the antiseptic rinse but not by a water rinse. Smokers appear to have a low mouth or breath odor other than that of tobacco. Cigars produce highest odor levels. Cigarette odors are most readily reduced to a low level.

X. There are certain resistant types of odors, such as that due to garlic, that are systemic in origin and are not affected by water or the antiseptic rinse.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Sterer and M. Rosenberg Streptococcus salivarius Promotes Mucin Putrefaction and Malodor Production by Porphyromonas gingivalis. J. Dent. Res., October 1, 2006; 85(10): 910 - 914. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				ADA COUNCIL ON SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS Oral malodor J Am Dent Assoc, February 1, 2003; 134(2): 209 - 214. [Full Text] [PDF]