How far does feedback on oral malodor assessment influence the decision to quit smoking?

DESIGN: A retrospective, uncontrolled, questionnaire-based, pre-post study involving adult male smoker volunteers who were invited to attend a one-day smoking cessation event at their workplace. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of feedback on motivation for smoking cessation using oral-malodor measurements. METHODS: At baseline, the participants attended a brief video presentation regarding various oral health-specific effects of smoking, joined a group introduction to smoking-cessation aids, and were given questionnaires that inquired information about smoking status including type, daily consumption, and duration. Subsequently, respiratory function and oral-malodor assessment were conducted using exhaled and oral cavity air, respectively. To measure oral-malodor, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide concentrations were determined. Participants' intention for smoking cessation was evaluated through questionnaire before and after the event, classifying their intentions as aiming to quit within the next month, within the next 6 months, or having no intention to quit smoking. Immediate feedback on respiratory function and oral malodor measurements was provided by medical and dental blinded examiners, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 241 men, aged 20-54 years, were enrolled and included: 169 (70.1%) exclusive cigarette smokers, 39 (16.2%) exclusive heated-tobacco product users, and 33 (13.7%) users of both. Prior to the health event, 8.7%, 17.0%, and 74.3% of smokers expressed intentions to quit within the next month, the next 6 months, or had no intention to quit, respectively. After the event, the corresponding percentages shifted to 17.8%, 26.6%, and 55.6%. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the association with intention to quit in the next month was significant only for methyl mercaptan concentration in oral cavity air, with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 4.24 (95% CI: 1.52-11.84; p = 0.006). Sensitivity analysis revealed that this association was concentration-dependent. On the other hand, higher daily tobacco consumption (≥ 15 pieces) was significantly associated with less likely intention to quit in the next 6 months (AOR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15-0.92, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Feedback on oral malodor measurement may support the motivation of men to quit smoking within the next month, rather than waiting for the next 6 months.

Self-reported halitosis and oral health related quality of life in adolescent students from a suburban community in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Halitosis is an important cause of impaired quality of life in adolescents. Little is known about the prevalence of self-reported halitosis in adolescents in Nigeria and the extent to which self-reported halitosis impairs their oral health related quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and impact of self-reported halitosis on the oral health related quality of life of adolescent students in a suburban community in Nigeria. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study. Pre-tested self-administered pro-forma was used to obtain the adolescents' demographic data and their self-perception of halitosis. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to assess the adolescents' OHRQoL. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the median OHIP-14 scores between adolescents who reported halitosis and those who did not. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the Health Research and Ethics Committee of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 361 adolescents aged 10 - 19 years (mean age 14.1 ± 1.79 years) took part in the study. Of these, 32.7% (n=118) had self-reported halitosis. The median OHIP-14 score among adolescents with self-reported halitosis was 3 (0-9) while those who did not report halitosis had a median OHIP-14 score of 0 (0 - 5). This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Self-reported halitosis significantly impaired the oral health related quality of life of the adolescents.

Laryngoscopic techniques modulate anaesthesiologists' perception of halitosis in patients: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Perception of halitosis in patients during intubation is a common and additional stressor for anaesthesiologists and may lead to potential health risks. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesised that intubation with videolaryngoscopy could help reduce the anaesthesiologists' perception of patients' oral malodor during intubation. DESIGN: A single-blinded, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Single centre general hospital, Guangdong Province, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 440 patients who underwent intubation under general anaesthesia for elective surgery, aged 18 to 60 years old, American Society of Anaesthesiologists class I to III, without upper airway abnormality or airway infection were enrolled. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either UE videolaryngoscopy (UE) or Macintosh's direct laryngoscopy (Macintosh) group. All intubations were performed by one of six very experienced anaesthesiologists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The patient's oral odour score was measured prior to induction of anaesthesia. The anaesthesiologists' perception of the patient's oral malodor during intubation was recorded. The shortest distance from patient's mouth to the anaesthesiologist's nose (MN distance), the exertion rating and discomfort were also measured. RESULTS: The oral malodor score did not differ in the UE and Macintosh groups prior to the induction of anaesthesia. However, the incidence of the anaesthesiologists' perception of halitosis during intubation was significantly lower in the UE group compared with the Macintosh group (P < 0.001). Similarly, the MN distance was significantly greater in the UE group compared with the Macintosh group (P < 0.001). The first-attempt success rate was higher in the UE group compared to the Macintosh group (P < 0.001). However, the exertion scores were considerably higher in the Macintosh group. After intubation, anaesthesiologists experienced more waist and shoulder discomfort with the Macintosh than the UE technique of intubation. CONCLUSION: Compared with direct laryngoscopy, videolaryngoscopy might reduce the anaesthesiologists' perception of the patients' oral malodor, help improve first-attempt success rate, as well as alleviate the anaesthesiologists' waist and shoulder discomfort. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov (ChiCTR-IOR-15007038).

Comparison of the Psychological Condition of Chinese Patients with or without Halitosis Complaints.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the psychological condition of Chinese patients with or without a primary complaint of halitosis. METHODS: The psychological condition of 196 Chinese patients who visited the Department of Periodontics was evaluated using the Cornell Medical Index (CMI) health questionnaire. The breath malodour of all patients was scored using the organoleptic test (OLT). RESULTS: More than half of patients (53.1%) complaining of halitosis actually demonstrated pseudo-halitosis. The overall scores and scores for emotional symptoms of CMI were significantly higher in patients with a chief complaint of halitosis than in those without such a complaint (P < 0.05). Females with a chief complaint of halitosis exhibited significantly higher scores for all parameters relative to females without a complaint (P < 0.05), while males with a chief complaint of halitosis exhibited enhanced emotional symptoms, particularly inadequacy, anxiety, and tension (P < 0.05) when compared with males without a halitosis complaint. Among patients complaining of halitosis, CMI scores for all parameters showed no difference between genuine halitosis female patients and pseudo-halitosis female patients, while male patients with pseudo-halitosis showed higher scores in the CMI overall score, scores for emotional symptoms and sensitivity, than males with genuine halitosis. CONCLUSION: There was a marked inconsistency between the complaints of patients and their actual odour status. Patients with a chief complaint of halitosis exhibited a greater level of inadequacy, depression, anxiety, sensitivity, anger, and stress. The psychological status of the patients varied with gender.

Self-Perception of Halitosis among Undergraduate Students of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences - A Questionnaire Based Study.

Background Halitosis is a frequently reported oral health problem worldwide with a prevalence rate of 10-30% in the general population. It is defined as the disagreeable or foul smelling breath originating consistently from a person's oral cavity. It not only effects the normal daily life activities of the patient but also bring humiliation, reduced self- esteem, ultimately resulting into decreased quality of life. Objective To determine the self-perception of halitosis among undergraduate students of different medical branches of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS); Kavre, Nepal. Method A descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted among undergraduate students of Physiotherapy, B.Sc Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing Sciences (BNS), MBBS and BDS program of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and were distributed among 500 undergraduate students. Result Out of total 500 distributed questionnaires, 406 were completely filled and returned giving an overall response of 81.2%, in which 70 (89.7%) male and 280 (85.4%) female students from different medical branches were aware of the term halitosis. Among them 29 (7.14%) of students think that they suffer from halitosis. Similarly 178 (43.84%) students had severe impact of halitosis on their social life while 153 (37.68%) and 62 (15.27%) students had moderate and mild impact respectively. Conclusion Due to the multifactorial complexity of halitosis, further longitudinal studies including objective assessment of malodor are required to determine its prevalence and to further investigate the association of this problem with other etiological factors in the context of Nepal. Also, curriculum of different fields should be modified to include this simple but very necessary topic.

Association Between Social Anxiety with Oral Hygiene Status and Tongue Coating among Patients with Subjective Halitosis.

Purpose: Halitosis is a universal affliction suffered by many individuals irrespective of age, sex and social status. Concern about oral malodor can significantly impede an individual's personal, professional and public life which can lead to the development of social anxiety. The present study was undertaken to assess the association between social anxiety with oral hygiene status and tongue coating among patients with subjective halitosis.Methods: A total of 321(n=321) subjects were self-recruited to participate in this IRB approved study. A 24- item Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Self-Report version (LSAS-SR) was distributed and completed by the participants; followed by oral examination using Simpified Oral Hygiene Index and Tongue Coating Record (TCR). ANOVA, t-test and Mann Whitney U test was used for comparison among variables. Correlation was performed using Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient method. The level of significance was set as p<0.05.Results: The total LSAS for the study population of 321 was 61.41±24.09; with females having significantly higher scores (64.64±24.95; p=0.01*). Comparison of clinical oral parameters between the genders revealed that poor oral hygiene (2.45±1.06) with a higher tongue coating score (71.38±18.24) was observed among male participants. However, these scores were statistically insignificant. A significant correlation between total LSAS, majority of its subscales and the oral parameters among females and subjects with high school education was also reported.Conclusion: This study revealed that social anxiety, poor oral hygiene and tongue coating were associated with subjective halitosis. Hence, maintenance of good oral health along with the use of appropriate tongue cleaning methods is of critical importance in reducing oral malodor. In some cases, comprehensive treatment of halitosis may require a multidisciplinary approach including dental, psychology and counselling professionals.

Distinguishing Subjective Halitosis.

Halitosis is chronic, endogenous malodor that is etiologically classified. Subjective halitosis, which may appear in clinically neurologic (neurogenic) or psychologic (psychogenic) forms, cannot be confirmed by using tests or performing visual inspection despite insistent complaints of malodor by the patient. Neurogenic forms mainly consist of chemosensory dysfunctions (dysguisa, dysosmia) and self-halitosis (retronasal olfaction, bloodborne olfactory receptor responses, phantosmia); whereas psychogenic forms are olfactory hallucinations, halitophobia, olfactory obsession, and delusional halitosis. This article reports clinically important properties of subjective halitosis that may be difficult to manage and provides a tool to aid dental pracitioners. Practitioners can identify suspected subjective halitosis cases by asking patients simple questions to distinguish between subjective and objective forms.

Relationships between pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, and social anxiety in young Japanese women.

BACKGROUND: Pathologic subjective halitosis is known as a halitosis complaint without objective confirmation of halitosis by others or by halitometer measurements; it has been reported to be associated with social anxiety disorder. Olfactory reference syndrome is a preoccupation with the false belief that one emits a foul and offensive body odor. Generally, patients with olfactory reference syndrome are concerned with multiple body parts. However, the mouth is known to be the most common source of body odor for those with olfactory reference syndrome, which could imply that the two conditions share similar features. Therefore, we investigated potential causal relationships among pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, social anxiety, and preoccupations with body part odors. METHODS: A total of 1360 female students (mean age 19.6 ± 1.1 years) answered a self-administered questionnaire regarding pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, social anxiety, and preoccupation with odors of body parts such as mouth, body, armpits, and feet. The scale for pathologic subjective halitosis followed that developed by Tsunoda et al.; participants were divided into three groups based on their scores (i.e., levels of pathologic subjective halitosis). A Bayesian network was used to analyze causal relationships between pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, social anxiety, and preoccupations with body part odors. RESULTS: We found statistically significant differences in the results for olfactory reference syndrome and social anxiety among the various levels of pathologic subjective halitosis (P < 0.001). Residual analyses indicated that students with severe levels of pathologic subjective halitosis showed greater preoccupations with mouth and body odors (P < 0.05). Bayesian network analysis showed that social anxiety directly influenced pathologic subjective halitosis and olfactory reference syndrome. Preoccupations with mouth and body odors also influenced pathologic subjective halitosis. CONCLUSIONS: Social anxiety may be a causal factor of pathologic subjective halitosis and olfactory reference syndrome.

Self-perceived halitosis influences social interactions.

BACKGROUND: To determine the impact of self-perceived halitosis on social interactions, and the effect of using an oral rinse for management of halitosis. METHODS: A survey among a representative sample of the Dutch population (n = 1082), and a pre-post study among a sample of consecutive coming-by volunteers (n = 292). RESULTS: Participants of the representative sample rated their oral odor as 66.8 ± 17.2 and the consecutive volunteers as 70.9 ± 16.7 (range: 0-100). Sizable proportions (15.3 % and 38.1 %, respectively) indicated to always take into account their (bad) oral odor when meeting a person for the first time. The worse people perceived their oral odor, the more likely they were to take into account to keep a certain distance. Following the use of the oral rinse, a significant decline was found of the extent to which the participants reported to take into account their oral odor when meeting a person for the first time. Both studies identified a subgroup of individuals (9.1 % and 28.1 % respectively) who reported to keep a certain distance when meeting other people, despite a "fresh" self-perceived oral odor. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that self-perceived oral odor negatively affects social interactions, and that adequate management of halitosis has the potential to improve such interactions.

Individual oral symptoms in burning mouth syndrome may be associated differentially with depression and anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an idiopathic disease characterized by the feeling of burning in the oral cavity. Ten per cent of patients presenting to oral medicine clinics have BMS. Anxiety and depression are common co-morbidities in BMS, but it is not known if they are associated with specific BMS symptoms. OBJECTIVE: In an exploratory analysis, this study examined the association of generalized anxiety and depression with individual BMS symptoms. METHODS: Forty-one patients were recruited from a dental outpatient clinic (30 with BMS and 11 with other oral conditions), evaluating specific BMS symptoms and their intensity. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using a standardized measure (Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised). RESULTS: Taste change (p = 0.007), fear of serious illness (p = 0.011), metallic taste (p = 0.018) and sensation of a film on the gums (p = 0.047) were associated with an excess of psychiatric symptoms. More specifically, metallic taste (coefficient = 0.497, 95% CI = 0.149-0.845; p = 0.006) and sensation of film on gums (coefficient = 0.625, 95% CI = 0.148-1.103; p = 0.012) were associated significantly with higher scores for depressive symptoms; taste change (coefficient = 0.269, 95% CI = 0.077-0.461; p = 0.007), bad breath (coefficient = 0.273, 95% CI = 0.065-0.482; p = 0.012) and fear of serious illness (coefficient = 0.242, 95% CI = 0.036-0.448; p = 0.023) were associated with higher anxiety scores. CONCLUSION: Specific BMS symptoms are associated differentially with generalized anxiety and depression. Dental practitioners should ascertain which BMS symptoms are predominant and be mindful of the association of certain symptoms with anxiety or depression and, where necessary, consider medical consultation.

Relationship of psychological and oral health statuses with self-perceived halitosis in a Jordanian population: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Self-perceived halitosis could be a symptom of a psychosomatic or psychogenic disorder. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to clarify the relationship of self-perceived halitosis with psychological and oral health statuses. METHODS: One hundred participants with a history of halitosis were enrolled from a teaching hospital. They were divided into the self-perceived and suggested groups if they sensed and did not sense the malodor, respectively. Demographic and socioeconomic information, smoking status, and oral hygiene practices were noted. Complete nasal, oral, and periodontal examinations with organoleptic tests (OLTs) and N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-2-naphthylamide (BANA) tests were conducted. The participants also completed the validated Arabic version of the 90-item revised symptom checklist (SCL-90R). Data were compared by analysis of variance, chi-square test, Student's t-test, and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The self-perceived group had higher OLT scores (p = 0.005) and were significantly younger (p = 0.001) than the suggested group. A significantly higher number of its participants were smokers (p = 0.004). No significant differences were observed in socioeconomic information, oral hygiene practices, oral conditions, and BANA test results. Further, no significant association was noted between self-perceived halitosis and the nine psychological dimensions of SCL-90R. CONCLUSIONS: Halitosis is a multifactorial symptom that requires multidisciplinary management. Self-reporting of the condition is unique entity and trust worthy symptom. It tends to be related to nonoral pathologies and extrinsic causes such as smoking.

Factors associated with clinical and perceived oral malodor among dental students.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with clinical and perceived oral malodor among dental students. Clinical oral malodor was measured in 163 Malaysian dental students using organoleptic method and Oral ChromaTM and they were asked about their perception of self-oral malodor. Oral examination was performed to assess oral health status. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 19.0. There were 52.7% students who had clinical oral malodor, while 19.0% students perceived they had oral malodor. The sensitivity (0.244) of self-perceived oral malodor was lower than its specificity (0.870). Tongue coating was closely associated with clinical oral malodor whereas high plaque index was closely associated with perceived oral malodor. These results showed that clinical oral malodor was prevalent among dental students, but students' perception of oral malodor did not always reflect actual clinical oral malodor. Furthermore, associating factors of clinical oral malodor differ from perceived oral malodor. The importance of controlling clinical oral malodor with proper tongue cleaning should be emphasized and dental students should be taught on the differences between clinical and perceived oral malodor in order to manage this problem.

Bad-breath: Perceptions and misconceptions of Nigerian adults.

OBJECTIVE: To provide baseline data about bad-breath perception and misconceptions among Nigerian adults. METHODS: Multi-center cross-sectional study of individuals aged 18-64 years using examiner-administered questionnaires. Age comparisons were based on the model of emerging adults versus full adults. Data were recoded for statistical analyses and univariate and secondary log-linear statistics applied. RESULTS: Participants had lopsided perceptions about bad-breath. While 730 (90.8%) identified the dentist as the expert on halitosis and 719 (89.4%) knew that bad-breath is not contagious, only 4.4% and 2.5% associated bad-breath with tooth decay and gum disease respectively. There were no significant sex differences but the older adults showed better knowledge in a few instances. Most respondents (747, 92.9%) would tell a spouse about their bad-breath and 683 (85%) would tell a friend. CONCLUSIONS: Participants had lop-sided knowledge and perceptions about bad-breath. Most Nigerian adults are their "brothers' keepers" who would tell a spouse or friend about their halitosis so they could seek treatment.

Longitudinal evaluation of the impact of dental caries treatment on oral health-related quality of life among schoolchildren.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dental caries treatment on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among schoolchildren and the responsiveness of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10 ) instrument. Brazilian schoolchildren, 8-10 yr of age, were randomly selected and assigned to two groups--dental caries treatment (DCT) and caries-free (CF)--according to their caries experience [decayed, missing, or filled primary teeth (dmft) and decayed, missing or filled secondary teeth (DMFT) values of ≥ 0]. The CPQ8-10 instrument was administered at baseline and at 4 wk of follow-up (i.e. 4 wk after completion of dental treatment). In the DCT group, increases in CPQ8-10 scores were observed between the baseline and follow-up results. However, longitudinal evaluation of the CF group demonstrated no statistically significant difference in CPQ8-10 scores. Responsiveness of the CPQ8-10 instrument (magnitude of change in CPQ8-10 scores) in the DCT group was greater (effect size >0.7) than in the CF group. The findings of this study show that dental caries treatment has an important impact on OHRQoL of children. The CPQ8-10 was considered an acceptable instrument for longitudinal measurement of changes in OHRQoL.

Relationship between subjective halitosis and psychological factors.

OBJECTIVES: Subjective halitosis is a growing concern in the fields of dentistry and psychology. This study was designed to determine the association between subjective halitosis and contributing psychological factors. METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional study were gathered from 4,763 participants who had answered questions on subjective halitosis and psychological factors (depression, anxiety, stress and personality traits) in the study on the epidemiology of psychological, alimentary health and nutrition (SEPAHAN). Binary logistic regression was used for data analysis. RESULT: The mean age of all subjects was 36.58 years; and the majority of subjects were female (55.8%), married (81.2%) and graduates (57.2%). The prevalence of subjective halitosis was 52.8%. The majority of subjects with the complaint of subjective halitosis were married (P<0.001) and young (P=0.07). Participants with subjective halitosis were significantly more anxious [odds ratio (OR)=1.76, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.38-2.24], stressed (OR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.17-1.71) and depressed (OR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.09-1.57). Among personality traits, neuroticism was a risk factor (tertile 1 vs. tertile 2: OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.09-1.51; and tertile 1 vs. tertile 3: OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.43-2.13) and conscientiousness was revealed to be a protective factor (tertile 1 vs. tertile 2: OR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.70-0.98; and tertile 1 vs. tertile 3: OR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.53-0.80). CONCLUSION: It seems that psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression and stress, as well as some personality traits, can be considered as risk factors for subjective halitosis. Multidisciplinary efforts by dental and psychological professionals must be considered to address this problem.

Impact of removable dentures on oral health-related quality of life among elderly adults in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Although the use of removable dentures can improve oral function and esthetics for elderly people, compared to those who do not wear removable dentures, those wearing removable dentures could have worse oral health related-quality of life (OHRQoL). Additional information is required to assess which factors related to denture wearing influence the OHRQoL of elderly individuals. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between denture wearing and OHRQoL in a sample of elderly individuals in Taiwan. METHODS: The study population included 277 elderly people wearing removable dentures (mean age = 76.0 years). Using face-to-face interviews, we collected data on the participants' socio-demographic characteristics, dental care service usage (regular dental checkups, treatment during toothache, dental visits in the last year), and factors related to denture wearing (perceived oral pain, perceived loose denture, perceived oral ulcer, perceived halitosis, perceived dry mouth, and perceived total denture satisfaction scores). OHRQoL was measured using the Taiwanese version of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI-T). The location and number of remaining natural teeth and the type of denture were also recorded. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed using GOHAI-T scores as the dependent variable. RESULTS: All the predictors together accounted for 50% of the variance in GOHAI-T scores. Further, education level, number of natural teeth, denture status, perceived loose denture, perceived oral ulcer, and perceived total denture satisfaction scores had statistically significant influences on OHRQoL. When compared with other variables, factors related to denture wearing, especially perceived total denture satisfaction scores, had the greatest impact on GOHAI-T scores. CONCLUSIONS: Of the factors analyzed in this study, denture satisfaction was the strongest predictor of OHRQoL. This suggests that denture satisfaction is useful for assessing the effect of denture treatment on the OHRQoL of elderly individuals wearing removable dentures.

Halitosis: a review of the literature on its prevalence, impact and control.

Halitosis is the offensive or disagreeable odour that may emanate from the mouth. In 80%-90% of cases, bacterial activities especially on the dorsum of the tongue are implicated. Current studies on halitosis accessed from electronic databases were appraised in the light of prevalence, impact and control of halitosis. Halitosis has a worldwide occurrence with a prevalence range of 22% to 50%. Due to the associated social and psychological effects, it should be taken seriously in all affected patients. Oral healthcare professionals ought to be well informed, because their office(s) are usually the first points of call for the affected patients.

Personality traits in patients with oral malodor.

Many patients presenting at oral malodor clinics have psychological halitosis, which is characterized as being obsessive about having oral malodor or being distressed from a keen awareness of oral odor. We used the Tokyo University Egogram (TEG) to evaluate personality traits in patients presenting at the oral malodor clinic of this institute. The incidence of each TEG personality type was compared between a total of 600 patients presenting at the clinic and a cohort of healthy individuals. Differences were found between the malodor patient and healthy groups. Nurturing Parent (NP)-dominant, Adult (A)-dominant, inverse N (NP low, Free Child high), showed a significant decrease of 6.7, 11.3, and 3.6%, respectively; whereas N (A low) and N (NP high, Free Child low) showed a significant increase of 3.3 and 6.4%, respectively (p < 0.01).

Emotional impact of halitosis / O impacto emocional da halitose

Objective: To evaluate the emotional impact of halitosis on 18-year-old men using a self-reported questionnaire. Method: A total of 2,224 participants underwent dental and medical examinations in the army medical services in the city of Pelotas, southern Brazil, in July 2008. Results: In this sample, 12% of respondents expressed concern about their oral malodor, which had a strong emotional impact on their quality of life. Conclusions: The individuals reporting halitosis showed a higher degree of concern with their oral malodor. Low educational level and low income were associated with psychological impact and halitosis in this population (AU)

Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto da halitose em uma amostra de homens de 18 anos usando um questionário autoaplicável. Métodos: Um total de 2.224 indivíduos foram submetidos a exames dentários e médicos no serviço médico do Exército na cidade de Pelotas, no sul do Brasil, em julho de 2008. Resultados: Nessa amostra, 12% dos respondentes expressaram sua preocupação quanto ao mau hálito, com forte impacto emocional em sua qualidade de vida. Conclusões: Os indivíduos que relataram halitose apresentavam maior grau de preocupação com mau hálito. Nível educacional baixo e baixa renda estiveram associados ao impacto psicológico e à halitose nesta população (AU)