Oral malodour (halitosis) is common in people of all ages, and poor oral hygiene is the most common cause, say Porter and Scully (p 632). This clinical review discusses the common causes of halitosis—such as local bacterial production, oral disease, respiratory disease, and volatile foodstuffs—and the rarer causes such as systemic disorders, drugs, and psychological reasons for those with subjective halitosis. The authors describe how halitosis is diagnosed and assessed, and explore different treatment options, saying that improving oral hygiene and perhaps tongue cleaning are usually effective.
Figure 1.
Credit: PASCAL GOETGHELUCK/SPL