Halitosis : some dental, oral and systematic aspects

Abstract

The mouth and teeth are the first functioning part of the gastrointestinal tract. Oral tissues are sensitive to various conditions, diseases and drugs and liable to various symptoms. Over the years, I have become increasingly conscious of the changes, including Halitosis (bad breath - mouth odour) brought about by certain diseases and other factors. Halitosis is sometimes mild, not so obvious and of a temporary nature but in other cases severe, prolonged and very unpleasant to the patient and relatives alike. The raison d'etre of this paper is mainly to help us in diagnosing Halitosis as part of the dental or medical picture. Limits of space have necessitated condensation and the exclusion of other details that 'could have been advantageously added.