Abstract

PASCUAL-LA ROCCA, Andrés; SAVOINI, Marzia  and  SANTOS, Antonio. Halitosis and mouthwashes: Revision of medical literature. RCOE [online]. 2005, vol.10, n.4, pp.417-425. ISSN 1138-123X.

Halitosis has been described in medical literature for many years, but it has only recently received professional recognition. Several local and systemic factors can cause oral malodour: Some of these factors are transient such as hunger, low salivary flow during sleep, retention of food debris, prescription of some drugs or tobacco consumption. Pathologic chronic situations can have oral and systemic conditions. Clinical and laboratory trials have demonstrated that the odour results from the metabolism of gram-bacteria. Treatment and control of oral malodour must be directed to the medical and/or oral origin of the cause. The treatment must focus on controlling and stimulating the oral hygiene of the patient. Prophylaxis, scaling and root planing therapies, are proven to be effective in cases related to periodontal disease. Different mouthwashes have been used in the chemical therapy of halitosis. The recommendation for mouthwash must be determined by the efficiency of the product.

Keywords : Halitosis; Oral malodour; Bad breath; Essential oils; Chlorhexidine.

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