A multifactorial investigation of the ability of oral health care products(OHCPs) to alleviate oral malodour

Aim, background: Oral malodour (halitosis) is generally ascribable to oral microbial putrefaction generating malodorous volatile sulphur compounds whi ch predominantly comprise dihydrogen sulphide and methyl mercaptan. This st udy assesses the relative effectiveness of 6 oral health care products in r educing oral cavity volatile sulphur compound concentrations. Method: A mixed model 3-factor factorial experimental design involving 6 vo lunteers, 7 treatment regimens (products I-VI* and water placebo) and 5 tim e-points (0.00-5.29 h) was undertaken. Electron-donating volatile sulphur c ompound levels were determined in triplicate using a sulphide monitor (Inte rscan model 1170) both prior to (0.00 h) and following oral rinsing (20 ml of 5 of the products) or chewing (2 capsules of the remaining product) epis odes with each product examined (0.29, 1.29, 2.29 and 5.29 h post-administr ation). Results: Results were recorded as peak and steady-state volatile sulphur co mpound equivalents (ppb). With the exception of one of the products, each o ral health care product tested was found to reproducibly reduce volatile su lphur compound concentrations within 20 min of treatment; the mean % decrea ses in peak (and corresponding steady-state) levels ranging from 3.6 (0.0) to 16.8 (16.4)%. Subsequently, volatile sulphur compound concentrations ret urned to their zero-control (baseline) values within 5 h, the rate of this regression being in the reverse of the order observed for the magnitude of the primary 20 min reduction for both peak and steady-stale measurements. A s expected, the water placebo exerted no influence on oral cavity volatile sulphur compound levels. The most effective oral health care products conta ined admixtures of chlorite anion and chlorine dioxide (both of these agent s have the ability to directly oxidise volatile sulphur compounds to non-ma lodorous products and the latter is also powerfully cidal towards odourigen ic micro-organisms). Conclusions: We therefore conclude that oral health care products containin g such oxohalogen oxidants may provide a useful therapeutic strategy for th e treatment of oral malodour.