Evaluation of two mouth rinses in reduction of oral malodor using a spectrophotometric technique
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1Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, ITS Dental College, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Background:
Various mouth rinses have been used in the treatment of halitosis, but most of the evidence for the efficacy of mouth rinses is anecdotal. In the present study, 0.2% chlorhexidine rinse and an essential oil mouth rinse are compared for their efficacy in reducing the breath mercaptan levels.
Materials And Methods:
Fifteen patients with the chief complaint of oral malodor were randomly divided into 3 groups and were provided with the respective mouth rinses. Pre rinsing measurements were performed on the Day 1 and no other periodontal treatment was instituted. Post rinsing estimation of mercaptan levels was performed after 7 days.
Results:
When comparing chlorhexidine with the essential oil mouth rinse, the reduction in VSCs was highly significant in the chlorhexidine group (P<0.01). However, the reduction in the organoleptic scores was not significant among the two groups. Organoleptic scores showed very highly significant correlations with the VSC concentrations measured by the spectrophotometric method.
Conclusion:
The spectrophotometric technique employed in this study appears to be a promising new method for evaluation of oral malodor. Chlorhexidine still appears to be the agent of choice as a short term regimen in cases of oral malodor.
