2008 Volume 46 Issue 5 Pages 566-569
OBJECTIVE: Although the density of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) has been evaluated for oral malodor in adults, little information on the levels in children have been reported, thus far. The present study investigated the relationship between oral health conditions and the density of VSCs in children aged 4-6 years.
STUDY DESIGN: The study included a total of 59 kindergartners aged 4-6 years (29 boys and 30girls) in Hokkaido. Oral malodor assessments were performed by a portable gas chromatography (Oral Chroma®, Abilit, Japan). The number of decayed and filled primary teeth (df) and plaque attached rates were determined prior to measurement on the density of VSCs. The correlation between the number of df and the density of VSCs was determined by the Person Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Plaque attached rates, gender differences and the density of VSCs were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and Scheffe's test. A statistically significant difference was accepted at the p<0.05levels.
RESULTS: The density of VSCs was significantly higher in the high plaque-attached group than in the low plaque-attached group. There was no significant correlation between the density of VSCs and the number of df. There was no significant gender difference in the density of VSCs. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that oral malodor may be associated with the amount of plaque attached to the primary teeth in children.
