Smoking and the hidden consequences: Bad breath and bacterial oral infection

Alkhafaji, Sallama H. A.; Al-Sudani, Susan F. K.; Alsunbuli, Mudher MB.

doi:10.21608/mb.2025.366978.1267

Smoking and the hidden consequences: Bad breath and bacterial oral infection

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

College of Dentistry, Albayan University, Baghdad, Iraq.

10.21608/mb.2025.366978.1267

Abstract

Halitosis is a common condition that occurs due to a myriad of factors such as oral hygiene, periodontal disease, systemic diseases, and infections. Study aims to determine the relationship between halitosis and some oral and systemic health conditions. Two hundred and fifteen subjects were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were separated into two different groups: no halitosis (n = 120) and Halitosis (n = 95). Oral hygiene practices, periodontal disease, other systemic diseases, bacterial infections, and other oral health considerations were examined. Statistical analysis included the use of the chi-square test for categorical data and the t-test for continuous data, and P < 0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: As for Smoking Habits, a bigger proportion of current smokers were found in the No Halitosis group (39) as compared with the Halitosis group (21) which is statistically significant, P =0.020. The distribution of non-smokers was found not to differ between the groups (P =0.573). Tooth brushing frequency: Twice-a-day brushing is significantly associated with the no Halitosis group (P = 0.0001). Periodontal health: Expectedly, generalized periodontitis (P = 0.0078) and Stage IV periodontal disease (P = 0.0052) were more common in the No Halitosis group. No Halitosis group was also higher in proportion of bacterial infection (P = 0.0001), and the Halitosis group had a higher proportion of no bacterial infection (P = 0.0001); accordingly, Halitosis is associated with no bacterial infection. Other oral health factors: Supragingival calculus (P = 0.0372), peri-implantitis (P = 0.0087), and dental abscesses (P = 0.0269) were significantly associated with bad breath. Brushing your teeth twice a day is an important aspect of halitosis prevention. Yet, the spurious link between periodontitis, bacterial infection, and halitosis suggests a complex relationship that requires further investigation. Future studies should focus on the microbiological aspects of halitosis to clarify these findings.

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