A Narrative Review of the Diagnosis, Etiology, and Treatment of Halitosis Over the Past Three Decades.

Although the term "halitosis" was first coined in 1874, people have become increasingly aware of this problem more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic due to extensive wearing of protective masks. In fact, following dental caries and periodontal disease, halitosis is the third most prevalent reason for patients going to the dentist. Due to multifactorial etiology, the diagnosis of halitosis requires a rigorous health/dental/social history, a clinical examination, and measurements. The treatment ranges from the use of dentifrices, mouthwashes, tongue scraping, and masking products, and more recently includes photodynamic therapy, probiotics, and ozone. The purpose of this narrative review was to examine the published literature concerning halitosis over the past 30 years and discuss the diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of the disease.