Abstract
Breath malodor means an unpleasant odor of the expired air, whatever the origin may be. Oral malodor specifically refers to such odor originating from the oral cavity itself. Breath malodor has long been a matter of concern. Surprisingly enough, until recently breath malodor has not been a matter of much interest in periodontology, although its most frequent causes are plaque-related gingivitis and periodontitis. Findings from different investigations have documented that the vast majority of causes of malodor relate to the oral cavity, with gingivitis, periodontitis and tongue coating as predominant factors. Members of the oral anaerobic microbiota can produce hydrogen sulfide and methylmercaptan from L-cysteine or methionine, proteins which are consistently present in the oral cavity. Gas chromatography revealed that mouth air contains hydrogen sulfide, methylmercaptan and also dimethyl sulfide.
