Halitosis (Fetor oris) in patients seen at the periodontology clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan - a subjective evaluation.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of halitosis among periodontal patients and to evaluate the association between this condition and increasing age, social class, gender and oral hygiene status. The subjects comprised two hundred and fifty five consecutive patients who attended the periodontology clinic of the University College Hospital from November 1996 and March 1997. The patients were matched for sex and their ages ranged from 16 years to 74 years and made up of 128 males and 127 females. Cases of halitosis were cross-validated by two examiners to rule out a biased diagnosis. One hundred and twenty eight patients were males while 127 were females. A total of 37 patients presented with halitosis representing 14.5% . There was no statistically significant difference in relation to gender, p > 0.05. In the different age groups, only 7% of the subjects in the 31 - 40 years age group had halitosis while 36% of the subjects in the over 60 years age group were affected, (chi(2) - 13.01, df = 5, p < 0.05). There was also a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of halitosis according to oral hygiene status and social class. The results showed a low prevalence of halitosis as erroneously claimed but showed an association between the condition and increasing age, social class and oral hygiene status.