Perception on halitosis among dental patients attending Muhimbili National Hospital dental clinic

Abstract

The aim was to investigate the perception on halitosis among dental patients attending Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) dental clinic. A total of 200 patients aged 18+ years of whom 41.5% were males and 58.5% were females were randomly selected. A pre-structured questionnaire in Kiswahili language was administered to the respondents. The Chi-square and the student's t-tests were used to compare different subgroups. While 52% of the respondents had primary education, 36% had secondary education. About two thirds of the respondents came from Kinondoni district (64.5%). Of the 200 study respondents, 55.5% assessed themselves to have good sense of smell. Self-perception of halitosis was reported in 44% of the respondents. Sixty six percent (66%) of the respondents reported that halitosis was a problem in the society around them. Almost half of the respondents (49%) perceived that halitosis was equally distributed between men and women. Most of the respondents (92.5%) reported that there is a need to give oral health education on halitosis to the society. In conclusion, the study indicated that, some dental patients attending MNH dental clinic perceived halitosis as an existing problem in their settings and most of respondents recommended public health education on the condition. Further studies on perception and prevalence of halitosis at community level are recommended.

Tanzania Dental Journal Vol. 12(1) 2005: 13-17