Table 7.
Percentage of correct responses of undergraduate dental students to a series of statements about halitosis (a, e, j, and l are correct statements)
| Statements | X Fourth Year | Y Fourth Year | Total | X Fifth Year | Y Fifth Year | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a) In cases of halitosis, the bad smell can come from the mouth as well as the nose | ||||||
| True | 59 (77.6%) | 34 (61.8%) | 93 (71.0%) | 51 (77.3%) | 35 (66.0%) | 86 (72.3%) |
| False | 17 (22.4%) | 21 (38.2%) | 38 (29.0%) | 15 (22.7%) | 18 (34.0%) | 33 (27.7%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 55 (100.0%) | 131 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| b) Pseudo-halitosis is the initial stage of pathological halitosis | ||||||
| True | 31 (41.3%) | 24 (48.0%) | 55 (44.0%) | 24 (36.4%) | 30 (58.8%) | 54 (46.2%) |
| False | 44 (58.7%) | 26 (52.0%) | 70 (56.0%) | 42 (63.6%) | 21 (41.2%) | 63 (53.8%) |
| Total | 75 (100.0%) | 50 (100.0%) | 125 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 51 (100.0%) | 117 (100.0%) |
| c) Extraoral halitosis is a variant of physiological halitosis | ||||||
| True | 63 (82.9%) | 40 (83.3%) | 103 (83.1%) | 58 (87.9%) | 42 (80.8%) | 100 (84.7%) |
| False | 13 (17.1%) | 8 (16.7%) | 21 (16.9%) | 8 (12.1%) | 10 (19.2%) | 18 (15.3%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 48 (100.0%) | 124 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 52 (100.0%) | 118 (100.0%) |
| d) A bad smell has always to do with poor oral hygiene | ||||||
| True | 5 (6.6%) | 2 (3.6%) | 7 (5.3%) | 7 (10.6%) | 6 (11.3%) | 13 (10.9%) |
| False | 71 (93.4%) | 53 (96.4%) | 124 (94.7%) | 59 (89.4%) | 47 (88.7%) | 106 (89.1%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 55 (100.0%) | 131 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| e) Mostly a bad morning breath disappears after toothbrushing or having breakfast | ||||||
| True | 76 (100%) | 53 (98.1%) | 129 (99.2%) | 64 (97.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 117 (98.3%) |
| False | - | 1 (1.9%) | 1 (0.8%) | 2 (3.0%) | - | 2 (1.7%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 54 (100.0%) | 130 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| f) The remedy for extra-oral halitosis is the use of tongue scraper and/or the use of a mouth rinse | ||||||
| True | 53 (71.6%) | 37 (71.2%) | 90 (71.4%) | 36 (54.5%) | 38 (71.7%) | 74 (62.2%) |
| False | 21 (28.4%) | 15 (28.8%) | 36 (28.6%) | 30 (45.5%) | 15 (28.3%) | 45 (37.8%) |
| Total | 74 (100.0%) | 52 (100.0%) | 126 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| g) A bad taste in the mouth goes together with bad breath | ||||||
| True | 68 (89.5%) | 45 (83.3%) | 113 (86.9%) | 63 (95.5%) | 48 (90.6%) | 111 (93.3%) |
| False | 8 (10.5%) | 9 (16.7%) | 17 (13.1%) | 3 (4.5%) | 5 (9.4%) | 8 (6.7%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 54 (100.0%) | 130 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| h) A patient can well conceive if he/she has a bad breath | ||||||
| True | 64 (84.2%) | 46 (83.6%) | 110 (84.0%) | 58 (87.9%) | 41 (77.4%) | 99 (83.2%) |
| False | 12 (15.8%) | 9 (16.4%) | 21 (16.0%) | 8 (12.1%) | 12 (22.6%) | 20 (16.8%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 55 (100.0%) | 131 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| i) Performing an organoleptic measurement requires wearing a mouth cap | ||||||
| True | 23 (32.4%) | 28 (57.1%) | 51 (42.5%) | 19 (28.8%) | 31 (72.1%) | 50 (45.9%) |
| False | 48 (67.6%) | 21 (42.9%) | 69 (57.5%) | 47 (71.2%) | 12 (27.9%) | 59 (54.1%) |
| Total | 71 (100.0%) | 49 (100.0%) | 120 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 43 (100.0%) | 109 (100.0%) |
| j) If a patient suffers from halitophobia, referral to a psychologist is indicated | ||||||
| True | 58 (76.3%) | 40 (75.5%) | 98 (76.0%) | 56 (84.8%) | 31 (58.5%) | 87 (73.1%) |
| False | 18 (23.7%) | 13 (24.5%) | 31 (24.0%) | 10 (15.2%) | 22 (41.5%) | 32 (26.9%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 129 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| k) When halitosis has an extraoral cause, referral to a gastrointestinal specialist is indicated | ||||||
| True | 68 (89.5%) | 40 (72.7%) | 108 (82.4%) | 57 (90.5%) | 40 (75.5%) | 97 (83.6%) |
| False | 8 (10.5%) | 15 (27.3%) | 23 (17.6%) | 6 (9.5%) | 13 (24.5%) | 19 (16.4%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 55 (100.0%) | 131 (100.0%) | 63 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 116 (100.0%) |
| l) When uncertainty about the presence and/or origin of halitosis exists, referral of a patient for diagnosis to halitosis office hour is indicated | ||||||
| True | 74 (97.4%) | 47 (85.5%) | 121 (92.4%) | 64 (97.0%) | 48 (90.6%) | 112 (94.1%) |
| False | 2 (2.6%) | 8 (14.5%) | 10 (7.6%) | 2 (3.0%) | 5 (9.4%) | 7 (5.9%) |
| Total | 76 (100.0%) | 55 (100.0%) | 131 (100.0%) | 66 (100.0%) | 53 (100.0%) | 119 (100.0%) |
| Number of correct answers (Median-min/max) | (n = 76) | (n = 55) | (n = 131) | (n = 66) | (n = 53) | (n = 119) |
| 6 (4–10) | 6 (1–9) | 6 (1–10) | 7 (4–10) | 6 (3–9) | 6 (3–10) |