Dentists May be Able to Detect Levels of Halitosis

Dentists May be Able to Detect Levels of Halitosis

A new test may limit the oral odor dentists have to smell from patients.

The colorimetric chairside test may be capable of smelling oral odors and determining what exactly is causing the smell.

It works by shining a light into a liquid solution and then analyzing the wavelengths from a precalibrated meter. The results have the ability to determine what compounds are present in the saliva.

Researchers from Begium and Italy collected saliva samples from 100 people, with the goal being to test the effectiveness of this new test. The researchers then studied the mouth moisture for ammonia-based molecules that are the second most prevalent compounds in oral odor, behind only volatile sulfur compounds.

After the testing, they concluded that a tiny sample of saliva was sufficient enough to be useful for a colorimetric chairside test. It’s possible this device will be used by dentists at some point in the future.