Efectividad de los tratamientos para la halitosis: una revisión sistemática

Abstract

Introduction: halitosis occurs due to the production of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), hydrogen sulphide primarily, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide. These compounds are caused by sulfur-rich amino acids which are found in saliva and gingival fluid. Despite the large amount of research on the different treatments, a systematic review in which conventional and alternative treatments in reducing halitosis are grouped has not been found. Therefore, the objective of the study is to determine the effectiveness of conventional and alternative treatments for reducing halitosis. Methodology: The following sources of health information were used: MEDLINE, Science Direct, Springer, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane, Electronic Libraries: SCIELO and Hinari, publishers Open Access: Scientific Research and Hindawi, Directory of Magazines: Dialnet and Google academic. This study considered clinical trials (54), case-control study (1), cohort study (1) and systematic reviews (5) for a total of (3530) participants included. Case series, case reports, literature reviews, as well as research in animals and in vitro investigations were discarded. Results: Studies showed that different treatments, both conventional and alternative are effective in reducing the production of VSC. Furthermore, it has been shown that the most effective are mouthwashes. Conclusion: The use of conventional treatments is recommended and especially mouthwashes to reduce halitosis.