Clinical assessment of oral malodor intensity expressed as absolute value using an electronic nose.
OBJECTIVE
In our previous study, scores determined via a multiple linear regression method (EN-MLR) involving an electronic nose provided objective halitosis-related measurements; however, this model afforded only relative expression exclusively. The objective of this investigation was to assess clinically oral malodor intensity expressed as an absolute value using an electronic nose.


METHODS
Sixty-six subjects were evaluated based on results of an actual organoleptic test (OLT), measurements of volatile sulfur compound (VSC) concentrations, a score representing malodor intensity (EN-MI) as the absolute value and EN-MLR measured with an electronic nose system. Oral health parameters were also examined.


RESULTS
The OLT score served as a benchmark. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) plots of EN-MI score (0.975) was significantly larger than that of log VSC (0.896) (P = 0.036); however, the area did not differ significantly from that of EN-MLR score (0.932). Percentage of teeth with pocket depth greater than or equal to 4 mm, tongue coating score and plaque control record displayed meaningful association with EN-MI score in multiple logistic regression analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral malodor intensity expressed as an absolute value employing an electronic nose may be a suitable method for clinical evaluation of oral malodor.
Nonaka
A
A
Department of Preventive Dentistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan
Tanaka
M
M
Anguri
H
H
Nagata
H
H
Kita
J
J
Shizukuishi
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004582:Electronics, Medical; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D006209:Halitosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D012372:ROC Curve; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000032:analysis
D005740:Gases; D013457:Sulfur Compounds