An Evaluation of Halitosis using Oral Chroma™ Data Manager, Organoleptic Scores and Patients’ Subjective Opinions

BACKGROUND Halitosis or breath odor, is defined as an unpleasant or offensive odor emanating from the mouth. Three forms are distinguished: genuine halitosis, pseudohalitosis and halitophobia. The source of 85% of all cases of halitosis lies in the oral cavity. According to the literature, between 10% and 50% of the population suffers from halitosis. The objective of this study was to provide an assessment of halitosis using an organoleptic method, Oral Chroma™ Data Manager and patients' subjective assessments of their condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 30 adult patients took part in the study. The patients were examined by a trained and licensed dentist. An organoleptic assessment was made of a patient's breath (scale 0-5) and a test performed on air samples from the oral cavity using the Oral Chroma™ Data Manager. The organoleptic score was rated according to the Rosenberg Scale. Next, the patient had to fill out a Halitosis Associated Life-quality Test (HALT) questionnaire. A statistical analysis was performed using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and SPSS 17.0 statistical software. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS According to the Tau b Kendall test, the correlation coefficient between the organoleptic assessment and the patient's own assessment was 8.1%, while the rho Spearman correlation coefficient was 10.4%. In the majority of cases, the patient's own assessment was higher than the organoleptic assessment. The HALT questionnaire revealed a Cronbach's coefficient alpha was of 0.929. CONCLUSIONS Halitosis requires not only professional care provided by dental specialists, but also psychological support.