Comparative study between photodynamic therapy and the use of probiotics in the reduction of halitosis in mouth breathing children: Study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial

Halitosis is a term that defines any odor or foul smell the emanates from the oral cavity, the origin of which may be local or systemic. One of the causes of local or oral halitosis is low salivary flow and dry mouth, which is also one of the complaints of individuals with the mouth-breathing habit. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and the use of probiotics for the treatment of halitosis in mouth-breathing children. METHODS: Fifty-two children between 7 and 12 years of age with a diagnosis of mouth breathing and halitosis determined through an interview and clinical examination will be selected. The participants will be divided into 4 groups: Group 1—treatment with brushing, dental floss and tongue scraper; Group 2—brushing, dental floss and aPDT applied to the dorsum and middle third of the tongue; Group 3—brushing, dental floss and probiotics; Group 4—brushing, dental floss, aPDT and probiotics. The use of a breath meter and microbiological analysis of the tongue coating will be performed before, immediately after treatment and 7 days after treatment. The quantitative analysis will involve counts of colony-forming bacteria per milliliter and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The normality of the data will be determined using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Parametric data will be submitted to analysis of variance and nonparametric data will be compared using the Kruskal–Wallis test. The results of each treatment in the different periods of the study will be compared using the Wilcoxon test. DISCUSSION: Due to the low level of evidence, studies are needed to determine whether treatment with aPDT using annatto as the photosensitizer and blue led as the light source is effective at diminishing halitosis in mouth-breathing children.