Abstract
Background. Halitosis (oral malodor) is a common problem all over the world and its prevalence has been estimated at 23‒ 50%. Halitosis originates from oral cavity in 85% of patients. This clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the Halita mouthwash in oral halitosis treatment.
Methods. Fifty subjects with an organoleptic score of >2 at baseline participated in this triple-blinded clinical trial. Subjects were divided into 2 groups. Group I subjects (N=25) were instructed to rinse with 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash twice a day for 1 week. Group II subjects (N=25) used Halita mouthwash with the same instruction. Halitosis was evaluated at baseline and one week after using the mouthwashes by organoleptic method. Data were analyzed with chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests (P<0.05).
Results. In the Halita group subjects exhibited 2.04±0.65 reduction in OLS. OLS reduction in the chlorhexidine group was 1.95±0.74. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion. Based on the results, Halita mouthwash has the same effect on oral halitosis as routine 0.2% CHX mouthwash. Halita mouthwash has fewer side effects because of lower concentration of chlorhexidine. Therefore 0.2% CHX mouthwash could be replaced by Halita mouthwash for the treatment of halitosis.