Abstract
(1) Background: Halitosis is a frequent condition that affects a large part of the population. It is considered a “social stigma”, as it can determine a number of psychological and relationship consequences that affect people’s lives. The purpose of this review is to examine the role of psychological factors in the condition of self-perceived halitosis in adolescent subjects and adulthood. (2) Type of studies reviewed: We conducted, by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, systematic research of the literature on PubMed and Scholar. The key terms used were halitosis, halitosis self-perception, psychological factors, breath odor and two terms related to socio-relational consequences (“Halitosis and Social Relationship” OR “Social Issue of Halitosis”). Initial research identified 3008 articles. As a result of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the number of publications was reduced to 38. (3) Results: According to the literature examined, halitosis is a condition that is rarely self-perceived. In general, women have a greater ability to recognize it than men. Several factors can affect the perception of the dental condition, such as socioeconomic status, emotional state and body image. (4) Conclusion and practical implication: Self-perceived halitosis could have a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life. Among the most frequent consequences are found anxiety, reduced levels of self-esteem, misinterpretation of other people’s attitudes and embarrassment and relational discomfort that often result in social isolation.
Highlights
Halitosis, commonly called bad breath, is a problem that can affect both the external, relational, social communication and internal, psychological sphere, with implications on perceived quality of life [1]
Halitosis is a frequent condition, present in 50–65% of the world population [2]. It is a significant source of discomfort, a precise estimation of prevalence is not possible because epidemiological studies are limited. This limitation could be determined by several factors, such as the absence of a standardized method for assessment of the disease, the difficulty in recognizing its presence and the likelihood that it is in some cases transient, which is why it is underreported in epidemiological data [3]
We identified the literature from January 2010 to January 2020 using four key terms related to self-perceived halitosis, namely halitosis, self-perception halitosis, psychological factors and breath odor, and two terms related to sociorelational consequences (“Halitosis and Social Relationship” OR “ Social Issue of Halitosis”)
Summary
Commonly called bad breath, is a problem that can affect both the external, relational, social communication and internal, psychological sphere, with implications on perceived quality of life [1]. Emotional state can have a negative impact in neglect of investment in one’s own body, in terms of care and hygiene, and the subject could become more sensitive to bad smell, highlighting a multifactorial psychophysiological problem [24] In this regard, individuals with psychiatric illnesses, including those with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder, may have impaired oral health [25]. Depression is a frequent and debilitating disorder characterized by loss of energy, anhedonia, reduced libido and feelings of sadness and despair that interfere with the daily activities of individuals Such problems will lead to a reduction in the patient’s self-esteem, leading to negative effects on the treatment of mental illness [26]. As a result of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the number of publications was reduced to
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