title: Correlation of oral hygiene practices, smoking and oral health conditions with self perceived halitosis amongst undergraduate dental students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of oral hygiene practices, smoking habits and halitosis among undergraduate dental students and correlating the oral hygiene practices, oral health conditions to the prevalence of self perceived oral malodour.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 277 male and female students. A questionnaire was developed to assess the self-reported perception of oral breath, awareness of bad breath, timing of bad breath, oral hygiene practices, caries and bleeding gums, dryness of the mouth, smoking and tongue coating.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate female students had better oral hygiene practices. Significantly less self-reported oral bad breath (P = 0.007) was found in female dental students (40%) as compared to their male counterparts (58%). It was found that smoking and dryness of mouth had statistically significant correlation with halitosis (P = 0.026, P = 0.001). Presence of other oral conditions such as tongue coating and dental caries and bleeding gums also showed higher prevalence of halitosis in dental students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A direct correlation exists between oral hygiene practices and oral health conditions with halitosis. Females exhibited better oral hygiene practices and less prevalence of halitosis as compared to male students.
authors.affiliation: Intern, Gian Sagar Dental College and Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Saniya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Setia
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Gian Sagar Dental College and Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Parampreet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pannu
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Gian Sagar Dental College and Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Ramandeep Singh
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gambhir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Gian Sagar Dental College and Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Virat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Galhotra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Gian Sagar Dental College and Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Gian Sagar Dental College and Hospital, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Anjali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sofat
keywords: Dental students; halitosis; oral hygiene; oral malodour