Objective: To review the results of a multidisciplinary approach on halitosis.
Design: Descriptive.
Setting: University Hospital Leuven, Belgium.
Methods: Review of the data on etiology, diagnosis and therapy of halitosis, obtained by a multidisciplinary team consisting of ENT specialists, periodontologists and a psychiatrist. Malodour was confirmed by a halimeter.
Results: 491 patients, equally males and females, with a concentration between 20-50 years of age were seen. Oral causes (87%) were due to tongue coating (51%), gingivitis (17%), periodontitis (15%) or combinations 17%). The other 13% causes were due to ENT-related problems (4%), both ENT and oral (3%), digestive tract (1%) and presumed psychic (5%).
Conclusion: Halitosis is a rather unknown medical problem that often can be solved by a multidisciplinary approach.