Abstract
Background: Halitosis is the unpleasant odor that comes from the mouth; conditions intra-orally such as bad oral hygiene, poor restorations, gingival inflammation, and periodontal diseases contribute to halitosis. Successful treatment is connected to recognizing the related factors and treat them effectively. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the selfperceived halitosis prevalence, and associated oral hygiene practices among dental students from National Ribat University Khartoum/Sudan. Methods: A cross-sectional study has been carried out. A structured self-administered questionnaire was given to undergraduate healthy students. Chi-square was used to test differences between frequencies and to assess the correlation between halitosis self-perception and oral hygiene measures. Results: The study was carried out on 150 healthy dental students; 94 females and 56 males. Self-perceived malodor is more common among males (P=0.04). The use of commercial productsto alleviate bad breath, and mouthwash are more widespread among females (P=0.003, P=.002). Males reported a significantly higher prevalent malodor among relatives and more repeated bad breath when they did the hand on mouth test (P=0.02). Usage of toothpicks is more among males (P=0.02).Self-perceived bad breath significantly related to practices of oral hygiene involving regular brushing (P=0.01), flossing (P=0.000), mouthwash and toothpicks usage (P=0.000). Conclusion: Undergraduate students’ self-perceived malodor prevalence is comparable to the other studies. The knowledge about halitosis should be fostered, and the dental professionals should improve the health understanding in the society. Keywords: Dental Students, Halitosis, Oral Hygiene, Oral Malodor, Sudan
Highlights
Halitosis is the unpleasant odor that comes from the mouth[1].Malodor that have its origin from the mouth is found in 80-90% of cases[2]
Conditions intra-orally such as bad oral hygiene, coated tongue, sites of extraction, necrosis, caries, impaction of food, prosthetic appliances poor restorations, gingival inflammation, and periodontal diseases contribute to halitosis[3,4,5]
The questionnaire was developed by reviewing the literature to investigate self-perception of halitosis and other factors related to it including the timing of oral halitosis, treatment done for the oral malodor, gingival bleeding and caries, dryness of oral cavity, smoking, tea and coffee drinking routine, coated tongue, and oral hygiene practices
Summary
Halitosis is the unpleasant odor that comes from the mouth[1].Malodor that have its origin from the mouth is found in 80-90% of cases[2]. Halitosis is the unpleasant odor that comes from the mouth; conditions intra-orally such as bad oral hygiene, poor restorations, gingival inflammation, and periodontal diseases contribute to halitosis. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the selfperceived halitosis prevalence, and associated oral hygiene practices among dental students from National Ribat University Khartoum/Sudan. Results: The study was carried out on 150 healthy dental students; 94 females and 56 males. Males reported a significantly higher prevalent malodor among relatives and more repeated bad breath when they did the hand on mouth test (P=0.02). Usage of toothpicks is more among males (P=0.02).Self-perceived bad breath significantly related to practices of oral hygiene involving regular brushing (P=0.01), flossing (P=0.000), mouthwash and toothpicks usage (P=0.000). Conclusion: Undergraduate students’ self-perceived malodor prevalence is comparable to the other studies. The knowledge about halitosis should be fostered, and the dental professionals should improve the health understanding in the society
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