Effects of Oral Probiotics on Subjective Halitosis, Oral Health, and Psychosocial Health of College Students: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Dong-Suk Lee,Seung-Ah Lee,Myoungsuk Kim,Seoul-Hee Nam,Mi-Sun Kang

doi:10.3390/ijerph18031143

Abstract

Altogether, 81% of Korean college students experience halitosis and concomitant psychosocial problems such as depression and lowered self-esteem, as well as poor oral-health-related quality of life. Although halitosis causes many social and psychological problems among college students, there have been no reports of improvement interventions. This study aimed to identify the effects of ingesting tablets of the oral probiotic Weissella cibaria CMU (Chonnam Medical University, Gwangju, Korea) on halitosis and examine its effects on psychosocial indicators. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group or the control group. They ingested W. cibaria CMU or the placebo, depending on which group they belonged to, before going to bed daily for eight weeks. The measured indicators were subjective halitosis, subjective oral-health status, depression, self-esteem, and oral-health-related quality of life. Measurements were at baseline and eight weeks later. The participants showed statistically significant differences in subjective halitosis and oral-health-related quality of life. For college students with halitosis, intake of the oral probiotic for eight weeks could be a useful nursing intervention for reducing halitosis and improving oral-health-related quality of life.

Highlights

Halitosis is a condition in which an unpleasant smell caused by oral microbes comes out of a person’s mouth during exhalation, which can make others feel uncomfortable [1].Halitosis is common occurrence; worldwide, prevalence of halitosis varied from approximately 5% to 65.9% [2,3]
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the intake of an oral probiotic on college students
After the ingestion of W. cibaria CMU, there was a significant difference in subjective halitosis between the experimental group and the placebo group, which is consistent with previous studies [23] that showed a significant effect in the reduction of halitosis after ingestion of W. cibaria

Summary

Introduction

Halitosis is a condition in which an unpleasant smell caused by oral microbes comes out of a person’s mouth during exhalation, which can make others feel uncomfortable [1]. Halitosis is common occurrence; worldwide, prevalence of halitosis varied from approximately 5% to 65.9% [2,3]. It is very common in Korean college students, with a prevalence of 81% [4]. Since someone with halitosis is concerned that other people will feel uncomfortable, he or she may experience mental stress; it should be considered a social problem, in addition to being an individual problem. Participants with subjective halitosis were found to be more anxious and to experience stress and depression more often [6]. Halitosis negatively affects interpersonal relationships and quality of life, and can cause low self-esteem, depression, and suicidal intent [7]

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