Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Halitosis
Halitosis or oral malodor is not a diagnosis, but is symptom. Halitosis, that we frequently encounter in ear, nose and throat practice can be the harbinger of some serious underlying disease. Therefore, diagnosis and to find the cause of the halitosis are important. Also halitosis treatment is neces...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Duzce University
2015-11-01
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| Series: | Düzce Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi |
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| Online Access: | http://tipdergi.duzce.edu.tr/Dokumanlar/f6e5ec10-c067-4a54-8851-74c7250f6ed6.pdf |
| Summary: | Halitosis or oral malodor is not a diagnosis, but is symptom. Halitosis, that we frequently encounter in ear, nose and throat practice can be the harbinger of some serious underlying disease. Therefore, diagnosis and to find the cause of the halitosis are important. Also halitosis treatment is necessary due to the social and psychological effects. Breath contains hundreds of volatile organic compounds that are by-products of our metabolism. Certain diseases such as nasopharynx cancer, larynx cancer ve lung cancer alter the mix of gases. Thus, the analysis of exhaled air has gained importance. New technologies lead to the development of new devices. And with these called electronic noses the analysis of exhaled air has becomes an important non-invasive diagnostic method.
In the literature, halitosis and bad breath which is used as synonymus with oral malodor is the emission of unpleasant odor from mouth and nasal passage. It occurs in 25% of the population, approximately and it has a significant social and economic impact. Halitosis is classified as true halitosis (physiologic halitosis and pathologic halitosis), pseudohalitosis and halitophobia. The most common cause is intra-oral diseases. Among all these factors, the most important etiologic factor are the coating tongue. Other ear, nose and throat diseases such as rhinitis and sinusitis are seen among the most common extraoral causes. Treponema denticola, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tanneralla forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, Actinobacilli and Solobacterium moorei are the bacteria which are commonly isolated from patients with halitosis and they are volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) producing ones as well. The treatment of halitosis should be carried out according to the etiology. In the physiologic halitosis tooth brushing, use of dental floss, tongue cleaning and chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride and zinc containing antimicrobial mouthwashes and toothpastes reduce bad breath significantly. In a study, it is noted that a significant reduction in halitosis is achieved by applying laser to the dorsum of tongue. |
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| ISSN: | 1307-671X 1307-671X |