Abstract
We examined the influence of oral malodor on psychological stress among patients with a chief complaint of oral malodor. A total of 101 patients (40 male and 61 female) who visited our clinic with a chief complaint of oral malodor were included in this study. The primary compounds of oral malodor—volatile sulfur compounds (VSC)—were measured using the Oral ChromaTM instrument. Salivary stress markers, cortisol, and chromogranin A were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The mood was measured using the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS2). Among the participants, 60.3% had at least one level above the threshold in the following three markers: hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide. The gender distribution was 35 female (57.4%) and 25 male (62.5%). Salivary cortisol levels, a biomarker of stress, did not vary depending on the presence or absence of oral malodor. Chromogranin A levels were higher in the oral malodor female group than in the no oral malodor female group. With respect to the POMS2, regardless of the presence or absence of oral malodor measured using gas chromatography, the participants had higher scores for “Anger-Hostility” and “Fatigue-Inertia”. Analysis by gender showed that “Depression-Dejection” was significantly higher in the oral malodor female group than in the no oral malodor female group. These results suggest that those who are worried about oral malodor have higher psychological stress than those who are not, regardless of the presence or absence of oral malodor measured using gas chromatography.
Highlights
As the world becomes richer and more peaceful, increasingly more people are concerned about oral malodor and seeking cleanliness
We examined the influence of oral malodor on psychological stress among patients with a chief complaint of oral malodor
We examined the influence of oral malodor on psychological stress by using volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) levels, saliva stress markers, and a mood questionnaire
Summary
As the world becomes richer and more peaceful, increasingly more people are concerned about oral malodor and seeking cleanliness. In reality, most dental clinics have a difficult time determining how to deal with different types of patients with oral malodor. K. pointed out that oral malodor causes psychological distress in many people who are worried about it [1]. The symptom of “worrying that one’s own body odor may cause distress to others” has been categorized as the olfactory reference syndrome, a type of social phobia, and has been studied in psychiatry. Since the 1980s, patients who worry excessively about their own oral malodor have been studied in the dental and psychosomatic fields. The symptom of “worrying that one’s own body odor may cause distress to others,” regardless of the presence or absence of oral malodor, has been categorized as self-perceived halitosis
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