Bin Mubayrik Azizah, Al Hamdan Rana, Al Hadlaq Emad M, AlBagieh Hamad, AlAhmed Dan, Jaddoh Hend, Demyati Mawadh, Abu Shryei Rawan
Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Science Department.
Restorative Dental Science Department.
Clin Cosmet Investig Dent. 2017 May 26;9:45-52. doi: 10.2147/CCIDE.S129679. eCollection 2017.
Halitosis or oral malodor is defined as an unpleasant breath odor. It can become a serious problem affecting individuals' social communication and self-confidence. Furthermore, it is a discomforting issue for the people around the person affected, because they consider it embarrassing to inform the person of the problem.
This study was designed to measure self-perception, knowledge, and awareness of halitosis among female university students in Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional survey was implemented with 392 volunteer participants who responded to a questionnaire on their self-perception, knowledge, and awareness of halitosis.
The response rate was 89.1% (392/440). Self-perception of halitosis was low (21.4%), whereas a larger percentage (78.1%) indicated noticing people with bad breath. Most participants (80.4%) thought that the gastrointestinal tract is the primary source of halitosis. Seventy-seven percent preferred using personal methods such as mouthwash and chewing gum to treat oral malodor. According to 82.1% of respondents, a dentist is the most appropriate professional to treat halitosis.
The investigation revealed low self-perception and limited knowledge regarding halitosis. Therefore, the role of dentists in informing and educating their patients concerning oral malodor should be enhanced. Public education about the causes of and possible ways of managing bad breath should be increased.
口臭或口腔异味被定义为一种令人不快的口气气味。它可能会成为一个严重的问题，影响个人的社交沟通和自信心。此外，对于受影响者周围的人来说，这也是一个令人不适的问题，因为他们觉得告知对方这个问题很尴尬。
本研究旨在衡量沙特阿拉伯女大学生对口臭的自我认知、知识和意识。
对392名志愿者参与者进行了横断面调查，他们回答了一份关于对口臭的自我认知、知识和意识的问卷。
回应率为89.1%（392/440）。对口臭的自我认知较低（21.4%），而较大比例（78.1%）的人表示注意到有口臭的人。大多数参与者（80.4%）认为胃肠道是口臭的主要来源。77%的人更喜欢使用漱口水和口香糖等个人方法来治疗口腔异味。根据82.1%的受访者，牙医是治疗口臭最合适的专业人员。
调查显示对口臭的自我认知较低且相关知识有限。因此，应加强牙医在向患者宣传和教育口腔异味方面的作用。应加强关于口臭原因及可能的处理方法的公众教育。
