The effect of mouthwash containing chlorhexidine digluconate 0.2% on halitosis in smokers and non-smokers

Background: Halitosis is a term used to describe bad or unpleasant odours from the oral cavity. The aim of this study is to investigate halitosis after administration of mouthwash containing chlorhexidine digluconate 0.2% (Parodontax, GlaxoSmithKline, GB). Material and methods: The study included 60 dental patients, 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers, all clinically healthy, who had not used mouthwash containing chlorhexidine digluconate 0.2% for the past 6 months. The patients were instructed to rinse their oral cavity with the supplied mouthwash twice daily for a 14-day period and to maintain oral hygiene as usual. The rinsing technique involved swishing with 10 mL of chlorohexidine digluconate 0.2% twice, successively, for 1 minute. After rinsing, the mouth was not flushed. Halitosis of the air exhaled from the oral cavity was measured using FitScan Breath Checker HC-212SF (Tanita Corporation, USA) during normal breathing, in the morning, on an empty stomach, without oral cavity toilette - before the start of the study and on day 14 from the start of administration of mouthwash containing chlorhexidine digluconate 0.2%. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two sexes in terms of age (p = 0.392). There was no statistically significant difference in halitosis levels between smokers vs. non-smokers (p = 0.07). In terms of sex distribution of smokers, 15 (39.5%) of the female subjects and 15 (68.2%) of the male subjects used tobacco products. A statistically significant difference was found between the two sexes in terms of smoking (p = 0.032). Fourteen-day administration of Parodontax resulted in a statistically significant decrease in halitosis levels in the subjects studied - 2.1 ± 1.15, p < 0.0001. This trend persisted in both smokers (the mean halitosis level after a 14-day period of administration of Parodontax was 2.27 ± 0.21, p = 0.006) and non-smokers (the mean halitosis level after a 14-day period of administration of Parodontax was 1.93±0.21, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our study showed that 14-day administration of Parodontax resulted in a statistically significant decrease in halitosis levels in both smokers and non- smokers.