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A randomized placebo-controlled trial of mebendazole for halitosis
Bahri Ermis1, Turan Aslan, Levent Beder
1Department of Pediatrics, Yakutiye Research Hospital, Ataturk University, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey. bahriermis@yahoo.com
Insights
Mebendazole, an antiparasitic drug, effectively treated halitosis in children with parasitic infections. This study suggests considering parasitosis as a cause of bad breath in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Halitosis, or bad breath, is a common concern in children.
- The role of parasitic infections in pediatric halitosis is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of mebendazole in treating halitosis in children.
- To determine if parasitic infections contribute to chronic halitosis in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 162 children aged 5-16 years.
- Participants received either mebendazole or a placebo.
- Halitosis was assessed via questionnaire, and stool samples were analyzed for parasites.
Main Results:
- Children with evidence of parasites showed a significantly higher recovery rate from halitosis when treated with mebendazole (18/28) compared to placebo (2/24).
- Mebendazole treatment showed a notable difference in recovery rates based on the presence of parasites (P =.002).
- No significant difference in improvement was observed in children without parasitic infections.
Conclusions:
- Parasitic infections should be considered a potential cause of halitosis in children.
- Mebendazole therapy may benefit pediatric patients with halitosis linked to parasitic infections.
Objective:
To test whether mebendazole, an antiparasitic drug, would affect recovery from halitosis.
Design:
We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial between April 1999 and September 2001.
Setting:
A referral medical center.
Patients:
One hundred sixty-two children aged 5 to 16 years whose parents complained about their chronic bad breath.
Interventions:
Children were randomly assigned to receive mebendazole (n = 82) or placebo (n = 80).
Main Outcome Measure:
Parents whose children had halitosis were evaluated for halitosis at 2 months of treatment by questionnaire. The microbiologist investigated the stool samples of children for parasitosis at the beginning of the trial and also at the end of the trial in children who were treated with mebendazole.
Results:
Among those children who had evidence of parasites in stool samples at the beginning of the trial, 18 of 28 who were treated with mebendazole recovered from halitosis, compared with 2 of 24 who received placebo (relative risk [RR] for recovery, 7.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-29.9). Among those who did not have stool parasites, 14 of 52 improved with mebendazole, compared with 10 of 48 taking placebo (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.6-2.6). Mebendazole intake made a significant difference whether or not the children had parasites (P =.002).
Conclusions:
Parasitosis should be considered as a possible cause of halitosis in the pediatric patient population. Mebendazole therapy seems to offer benefit to those children with parasites as a potential cause of their halitosis.