Oral and nasal malodor in patients with and without cleft lip and palate who had undergone orthodontic therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To compare oral and nasal malodor in patients with and without cleft lip and palate (CLP) who had undergone orthodontic therapy.

SETTING

University of Cumhuriyet, Sivas, Turkey.

PATIENTS: The study included 33 patients. Group 1 was composed of 11 patients with CLP. Measurements were taken while they were undergoing treatment with orthodontic fixed appliances. Group 2 included 11 individuals without CLP; measurements were taken during fixed orthodontic therapy. Group 3 consisted of 11 individuals without CLP who did not receive orthodontic therapy.

INTERVENTION: Oral malodor, nasal malodor, Gingival Index, Plaque Index, and probing depths were evaluated in each group.

RESULTS

Plaque Index, Gingival Index, and probing depths showed no significant differences between groups 1 and 2. In contrast, oral malodor was significantly different between the two groups (p < .05). Groups 2 and 3 showed differences in gingival and plaque indices but not in probing depths and oral malodor. All healthy nostrils in Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 were significantly different from affected nostrils in the CLP patients. There was significant malodor in affected nostrils when compared with nonaffected nostrils in group 1 (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Oral malodor was increased in patients with CLP. Nasal malodor level was also higher in affected nostrils of the CLP patients compared to nostrils of healthy subjects.