Self-assessment of oral malodor 1 year following initial consultation

Objective: In an initial study subjects complaining of bad breath were gene rally unable to score the level of their own oral malodor in an objective f ashion. Subjects were taught several techniques for self-measurement of bad breath. One year following the initial consultation, subjects were recalle d to determine whether their ability to assess their own oral malodor had i mproved. Method and materials: In the study, subjects were blinded to their own scores 1 year earlier, to the odor-judge scores, and to the results of the clinical laboratory tests. Thirty-two of 43 subjects in the original s tudy who presented with a complaint of oral malodor agreed to participate i n the follow-up study, Odor-judge scores and self-assessments of oral malod or (whole-mouth odor, tongue odor, and saliva odor) were compared with one another as well as with clinical parameters, Results: Objective improvement s were noted in both oral health parameters and malodor levels of subjects. Despite this, self-assessments generally remained unrelated to objective p arameters (odor-judge scores, clinical indices, and laboratory tests). Self -assessments were all significantly correlated with one another, and also w ere significantly associated with corresponding self-estimates made 1 year earlier. Conclusion: Subjects with a complaint of oral malodor remain large ly unable to score their own bad breath in an objective fashion. In additio n, they are not capable of sensing reductions in oral malodor 1 year follow ing the original assessment, even though, from a clinical standpoint, impro vements have taken place.