ABSTRACT:
Background: Halitosis or oral malodour is defined as an unpleasant breath odour. It can become a serious problem affecting individual’s social communication and self-confidence. The main substance responsible for this malodour is the volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) produced from protein degradation by gram-negative anaerobic bacteria. Common aetiologies of bad breath include periodontal diseases, tongue coating, caries and decreased salivary flow. Extra oral causes comprise medication use, psychological factors, and pathologies related to the nose, tonsils, lungs and stomach. Halitosis has been shown to be a very uncommon reason for patients to visit a dental clinic. Hence a study was conducted to assess self-perception, knowledge and attitude of halitosis among patients attending a dental hospital in Chennai. Materials and methods: A cross sectional was conducted among 300 patients who visited dental hospital in South India. A self-structured questionnaire was implemented. The purpose of the study was explained, and any questions raised were addressed. Data was entered and statistically analysed in SPSS. Results: Most of the participants (132) did not have self-perceived halitosis. Majority of the participants were brushing twice a day and were using mouthwash regularly and they had a knowledge of halitosis. Conclusion: The study reviewed the knowledge, attitude and self perception of halitosis among the patients. However, further research is needed to examine oral malodour and correlate self-perceived oral malodour with clinical or laboratory based evaluation and by the standard procedures available.