Evaluation of oral and nasal odor in patients with and without cleft lip and palate: preliminary report.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate oral and nasal halitosis parameters in patients with and without clefts.

DESIGN

Randomized and prospective study. Patients with and without clefts were evaluated as to oral and nasal halitosis.

SETTING

University of São Paulo, Bauru Dental School and Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, Bauru, Brazil.

PATIENTS: Twelve patients with clefts and 12 without clefts were evaluated, and no exclusion criteria were followed.

INTERVENTIONS: Nasal and oral halitosis were measured with the use of a portable sulfide monitor during a single visit.

RESULTS

One hundred percent of the patients with clefts had altered values for volatile sulfur compounds. Only 33.3% of the patients without clefts had at least one strong value for nasal halimeter measurements, and 58.3% of these patients showed alteration in the nasal values. Statistical evaluation, made using the Mann-Whitney U test, classifying the nasal halimeter values as normal, weak, and strong, showing a statistical significant group difference (p = .003). There was no significant difference in the oral halimeter values between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with cleft lip and palate had a tendency to present higher values for the nasal halimeter measurements, when compared with patients without clefts.