The association between periodontal diseases and halitosis among Saudi patients

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between the presence of periodontal disease and halitosis. METHODS: A total of 120 patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups, 60 patients with probing depth (PD) > 3.0 mm (group 1) and 60 patients with PD ≤ 3.0 mm (group 2). Clinical parameters including, plaque index (PI), bleeding index (BI), and PD were obtained. Breath samples were collected and analyzed using a portable gas chromatograph to measure the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). RESULTS: Halitosis was found to affect 58.3% of the total patients. The means of PI, BI, and VSC were significantly higher in group 1 (PD > 3.0 mm) than in group 2 (PD ≤ 3 mm). CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of patients suffering from halitosis in the Saudi population are comparatively high. In addition, there was a positive association between periodontal disease and halitosis.