Assessment of Self Perceived Oral Malodor in Smokers of Mehsana District, Gujarat: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Oral malodor is the term commonly used to refer to any unpleasant smellin exhaled air, regardless of whether the source of the odor is oral or nonoral. The issueof oral malodor is a significant worry for many individuals as it can have negativeimpacts on both personal and professional aspects of life. Objectives: To assess theSelf-perceived Oral Malodor in Smokers of Mehsana District, Gujarat. Methodology:A Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 264 study participants withmore than 18 years of age. A structured self-administered, close ended Thirteenquestionnaire was prepared and was given to participants who are the smokers.Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Statistical analysis was done byusing SPSS software version 20.0.Level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Result:The prevalence of oral malodor was 35.2%. Smoking habit seen higher among malestudy participants compared to female study participants among them youngergeneration have a higher smoking habit. The utilization of mouth freshener was foundto be significantly higher among male participants in the study, in comparison to theirfemale participants (p ≤ 0.05). Majority female study participants noticed that badbreath interfered with their social life or work place. Conclusion: It was concluded thatstudy participants demonstrated inadequate oral health awareness and practices,highlighting the need for improvement. Preventing self-perceived halitosis can beachieved through raising awareness, a more economical option compared to costlydental treatments.