PREVALENCE OF HALITOSIS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF VOLATILE SULFUR COMPOUNDS AMONG PARTICIPANTS UNDERGOING HALITOSIS SCREENING IN AN ORAL HEALTH EXHIBITION

Abstract

Halitosis is a common oral health problem that may adversely affect quality of life. This study aimed to describe the distribution of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) among individuals participating in halitosis screening at an oral health exhibition and to examine the associations between baseline factors and oral gas levels. This secondary data analysis used data from a community academic service database. The study included 62 volunteers from the general population who underwent halitosis screening, with a mean age of 34.6 ± 13.4 years. VSC levels were measured using the Oral Chroma™ device. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to compare the proportions of participants with gas levels above and below the established cutoff values between pre-lunch and post-lunch periods. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between age and each sulfur compound. The median levels of H₂S, CH₃SH, and (CH₃)₂S were 110, 21.5, and 67.5 ppb, respectively. Dimethyl sulfide ((CH₃)₂S) showed the highest proportion of participants with levels above the cutoff value (82.3%). Pearson’s chi-square test revealed a significant association between screening time and H₂S levels (p = .005), whereas no significant associations were found for CH₃SH (p = .079) or (CH₃)₂S (p = .530). Age was positively correlated with H₂S (r = .429, p = .001), CH₃SH (r = .314, p = .013), and (CH₃)₂S (r = .251, p = .049).These findings suggest that halitosis screening can reflect the distribution of VSCs under daily-life conditions. Meal-related timing was associated with H₂S levels, while age was positively associated with all three sulfur compounds.

Keywords: Halitosis, Volatile Sulfur Compounds, Age, Field Screening, Oral Chroma™