Effectiveness of full- and partial-mouth disinfection on halitosis in periodontal patients

To compare the effectiveness of full- and partial-mouth disinfection for halitosis control, patients were assigned to treatment with full-mouth therapy (complete scaling and root planing in one stage within 24 h) or conventional therapy in quadrants (scaling and root planing performed by quadrant over a period of 4 weeks) (n = 90 for each group). Both groups were then subdivided: half the patients scraped their tongue daily and half did not. The patients were then evaluated by halimeter, organ- oleptic testing, and tongue coating index. Halimeter evaluation showed greater reduction of sulfide gases after full-mouth therapy than after conventional therapy (P < 0.001). However, organoleptic testing and the tongue coating index showed no difference among the four treatment groups. There was also no difference in relation to tongue scraping. In conclu- sion, halimeter evaluation showed that the reduction in volatile sulfur compounds was significantly greater after full-mouth therapy than after conventional therapy. However, this difference was not observed in organoleptic evaluation. (J Oral Sci 57, ●-●, 2015)