Self-perception prevalence of halitosis and oral hygiene habits in volunteers admitted to the school of dentistry in Kerman, Iran

BACKGROUND and AIM: This study was conducted to investigate the self-perception of mouth odor and its correlation with different variables. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 260 individuals who were asked about their perception of personal mouth odor. Factors such as age, gender, oral hygiene, periodontal and dental status, tongue coating, and medical history were recorded on a checklist. Halitosis was evaluated using an etiquette checker. The variables were analyzed using the independent samples t-test and multiple logistic regressions. RESULTS: Of 260 individuals, 101 persons claimed to have halitosis. The prevalence of pseudo-halitosis was 13.5%. Female gender, spontaneous bleeding and bleeding during dental brushing, periodontal index (PI), and tongue coating had a significant association with genuine halitosis according to logistic regression. The decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index had a significant association with pseudo- and genuine halitosis. CONCLUSION: Dental status, tongue coating, female gender, and periodontal disease were most significantly related to halitosis.