Reduction of oral malodor by oxidizing lozenges

Area of Science:

• Oral Health
• Halitosis Research
• Oxidative Treatments

Background:

• Oral malodor, or halitosis, affects a significant portion of the adult population.
• Current treatments for oral malodor include breath mints and chewing gum, with varying efficacy.
• Understanding the mechanisms and effectiveness of different anti-malodor agents is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of oxidizing lozenges in combating oral malodor compared to breath mints and chewing gum.
• To assess the impact of different treatments on various oral malodor indicators.
• To investigate the self-perception of oral malodor in relation to objective measurements.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 123 healthy young adults.
• Measurement of oral malodor parameters including whole mouth odor, tongue odor (spoon test), volatile sulfide levels, and salivary compounds.
• Participants were assigned to groups using breath mints, chewing gum, oxidizing lozenges, or no treatment, with measurements taken at baseline and 24 hours.

Main Results:

• Only full-strength oxidizing lozenges demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in tongue dorsum malodor as assessed by the spoon test.
• The full-strength oxidizing lozenge group showed a significant improvement in a modified oral rinse test, suggesting sustained oxidizing activity.
• Volunteer self-assessments of oral malodor were found to be significantly correlated with expert judge assessments.

Conclusions:

• Full-strength oxidizing lozenges are effective in reducing tongue-related oral malodor.
• The sustained oxidizing activity in the oral cavity may contribute to the anti-malodor effects.
• Self-assessment of oral malodor can be a reasonably objective indicator when correlated with clinical evaluations.