Perception and awareness of halitosis in children by caregivers seen in our pediatric outpatient department
Introduction: Halitosis is defined as bad breath which is offensive to others, there are several causes of halitosis, however, diseases of the oral cavity are the most common causes such as periodontal disease, bacterial coating of tongue; in addition, sinusitis, suppurative diseases of the lungs, e...
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| Format: | Book |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications,
2018-01-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | Introduction: Halitosis is defined as bad breath which is offensive to others, there are several causes of halitosis, however, diseases of the oral cavity are the most common causes such as periodontal disease, bacterial coating of tongue; in addition, sinusitis, suppurative diseases of the lungs, esophageal diseases, systemic disorders, and different types of food have been implicated. It is one of the common indications for dental consultation. However, there are limited studies that have explored caregivers' perception of halitosis in their children and their help-seeking attitudes toward halitosis in children. Materials and Methods: This study was cross sectional. It was conducted over 4 months from August 2017 to December 2017. Pretested questionnaires were administered by trained medical officers and house officers; a systematic random sampling method was employed. Results: There were 31 (20.7%) males and 119 (79.3%) females, with male-to-female ratio of 1:4. Most respondents did not perceived their ward's breath; similarly, they believed their wards did not have bad breath; however, among those with bad breath, majority were concerned, but most had not sought medical treatment. Surprisingly, majority of the respondents did not know the cause of bad breath; and educational qualification and ethnicity had no significant association with knowledge of the causes of halitosis. Majority of the ethnic groups were aware of halitosis, except the Fulanis; and this observation was statistically significant (χ2 = 15.170, df = 4, P = 0.004). Conclusion: There was poor knowledge of the causes of halitosis among the respondents; and few respondents sort for medical treatment for halitosis. |
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| Item Description: | 2772-5243 2772-5251 10.4103/srmjrds.srmjrds_81_17 |