Investigation of the Level of General Dentists' Awareness about the Causes of Halitosis and its Treatment in Yazd in 2018

Introduction: The unpleasant odor felt in speaking or breathing may be the sign of systemic disorders or some localized lesions in the mouth and teeth. As the first people to be questioned in this field, dentists play a critical role in diagnosis, treatment, and refer to a specialist, so their knowledge in this matter is important This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of Yazd general dentists about the causes of halitosis and its treatment methods in 2018. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 126 Yazd general dentists, selected randomly, completed a questionnaire, including demographic information (12 questions), the causes of halitosis (12 questions), methods of halitosis detection (5 questions), and methods of its treatment (3 questions). The data were then coded and statistically analyzed with SPSS version 23 software and Students' t-test, ANOVA, and Chi-square tests. Results: The mean score of the participants' awareness was 13.23±3 3.29. Their mean score of the awareness in etiology, diagnostic methods, and the treatment amounted to 7.50 ± 2.36, 3.27± 1.39 and 2.27±0 0.74, respectively.  Of them, 2.4%, 42.9%, and 54.8% had a low, moderate, and a good level of knowledge. There was a significant and inverse relationship between the knowledge score of the dentists with their age and duration of employment in the dental profession (p=0.006). Those who worked in government centers had a higher average knowledge score (p=0.004). Conclusion: Yazd general dentists had a good knowledge level about the halitosis. Since there is a significant and inverse relationship between the mean score of knowledge with the age and duration of employment in the dental profession. Therefore, holding retraining courses is recommended to raise the level of awareness of these people.