An inventory of patients' response to treatment at a multidisciplinary breath odor clinic

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess patients' response to their treatment at a multidisciplinary oral malodor clinic. Method and materials: In 4 years, a multidisciplinary breath odor clinic in Belgium examined 406 patients. The team consisted of an ear, nose, and throat specialist, a per iodontologist, occasionally a specialist in internal medicine, and, more re cently, a psychiatrist After the initial visit, each patient was scheduled for a follow-up appointment 2 to 6 months later; however, only 143 patients (35%) showed up for this control visit The remaining 65% of the patients a nswered a mailed questionnaire. Results: About half of the patients who ret urned no longer had complaints, while 17% reported no improvement. This gro up was characterized by imaginary bad breath and manifest psychologic probl ems. There was also disbelief of their cure, although clinical examination (organoleptic evaluation and volatile sulfide measurement by means of a por table monitor) did not reveal any oral malodor. Some also insufficiently pe rformed the recommended oral hygiene measures (tongue brushing and interden tal cleaning). Most of the patients who returned the questionnaire were dis appointed by the suggestion that their halitosis was the result of insuffic ient oral hygiene. Conclusion: Better education of both the public and dent al professionals as to the most frequent cause of halitosis, insufficient o ral hygiene, might elevate the level of compliance by patients.