Prevalence of Halitosis and Its Relationship with Tooth Brushing, Oral Habits and Bacterial Isolates among Children in Hillah City, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Halitosis, commonly known as bad breath, is a prevalent condition among children and usually occurs due to bad oral hygiene, oral disease, and sometimes due to extraoral causes. Objectives: The study of halitosis is the key for the prevention of the embarrassing factor in children and gives education about oral hygiene to children and their parents. Materials and Methods: This study examined 174 children that come to the dental clinic of Babylon University College of Dentistry in Hilla, Babil, Iraq, and wrote information in a case sheet about the frequency of brushing their teeth in a day and used organoleptic measurement for halitosis among children. It also measured the number of times children aged 4_12 years old in Hilla, Babil, Iraq, brush their teeth in a day and their halitosis scores. Also measured was the presence of specific oral habits (tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, mouth breathing) for their potential influence on the halitosis; in addition, measured were bacterial isolates in children that had halitosis. Results: The present study found that most children that had high scores of halitosis either do not brush their teeth or brush less frequently in a day, and the oral hygiene of girls is better than that of boy children. Conclusion: The halitosis had many causes but was greater influenced by the frequency of toothbrushing and bacterial species in the day, and also some bad habits could lead to halitosis. Halitosis is more common in boys than girls due to better oral hygiene of females; also, females naturally care more about oral health than males.