Prevalence et facteurs associes a l’halitose buccale : Etude dans une population generale senegalaise

Introduction: Halitosis is a common complain among dental patients, chronic among 50% of the adult population, and of oral origin in 90% of the cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and related factors of oral halitosis among a senegalese population. Material and method: This was a transversal descriptive study of 396 Senegalese adults using a 24-point self-assessment questionnaire on halitosis. All subjects were examined to estimate the organoleptic means and to measure the Sulfur Volatile Compounds (SVC), using a halimeter. Halitosis was diagnosed when the level of sulfur volatile Compound was ≥125 ppb and the organoleptic score ≥ 2. Data were statistically analyzed using the chi2 test. Results: The global prevalence of halitosis was 32.3 %. The difference was not statistically significant between male and female. Among the 396 patients suffering from bad breath, 128 had a permanent halitosis and 52 had a physiological halitosis. The means of the organoleptic scores were 3.12 and that of the (SVC) were 273.9 ppb. Conclusion: The results of the study showed a relation between the organoleptic tests and the level of sulfur volatile compounds (SVC). Keywords: Halitosis, organoleptic tests, sulfur volatile compound, epidemiology, and self-assessment