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RESEARCH REPORT |
1 Department of Oral Biology, Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine and
2 Department of Human Microbiology, and
3 Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
* corresponding author, melros{at}post.tau.ac.il
Bad breath is a common condition, difficult to assess in the general population. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that a self-administered questionnaire can help identify factors associated with greater risk of oral malodor. Persons (n = 88) undergoing routine medical check-ups completed a questionnaire including 38 questions on general and oral health, dietary habits, and their own oral malodor levels. Oral malodor assessments included odor judge scores, volatile sulfide levels (via a Halimeter®, Interscan Corp.), and salivary ß-galactosidase. Among the questionnaire results, 9 responses were significantly associated with odor judge scores (p < 0.05, unpaired t test), including questions on alcohol intake and body mass index (BMI). Predictions of odor judge scores based on these 9 questions (linear multiple regression analysis) yielded R = 0.601; when introduced together with Halimeter® and ß-galactosidase scores, the correlation rose to R = 0.843. The results suggest that alcohol intake and BMI may be factors that help predict oral malodor.
KEY WORDS: halitosis • body mass index • alcohol • ß-galactosidase • Halimeter® • volatile sulfur compounds • prevalence
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| Journal of Dental Research ® | Critical Reviews (1990-2004) |
