Halitosis treatment must include anxiety attention

Posted by Ben Evans

Gas chromatography processes have been used to determine the effect social anxiety has on people who have recovered from halitosis.

In a study published by Health and Quality of Life Outcomes journal, teams from Japan and Australia sought to determine whether people with genuine halitosis over came anxiety about the condition following malodour treatment.

The scientists used 262 genuine halitosis patients for the study in which as chromatography (GC) was conducted before and after oral malodour treatment for the oral malodour measurement.

Subjects who had a score of two or higher on the organoleptic test were diagnosed as genuine halitosis patients and they were measured for anxiety for before and after treatment.

"This study revealed that genuine halitosis patients with a strong trait of social anxiety disorder have difficulty overcoming their anxiety about oral malodour," the report concluded.

It suggested that patients with halitosis not only need malodour treatment, but must also have attention to address social anxiety disorder.