Awareness and Knowledge of Halitosis: Comparison of Two Grades ofDental Hygienist Students

Many people worry about their breath odor, and the importance of halitosis treatment is increasing. Consequently, it is necessary for dental hygienists to obtain a basic knowledge of halitosis. To achieve this, we must improve the motivation of dental hygienist students to acquire such knowledge. To this end, we conducted a questionnaire survey to assess the awareness and knowledge of the problem among dental hygienist students and compared the results of the survey for students in the first and third grades. The percentage of students who perceived the oral malodor of patients was higher in the third grade group. The third graders also placed a greater importance on the participation of dental hygienists in halitosis treatment. Most students in both grades believed that demand for halitosis treatment would increase, although there were students in the first grade that did not hold this view. A similar percentage of students in the two grades were willing to study halitosis, although some first grade students were not at all interested. Many more students in the third grade wanted to take part in halitosis treatment. Student knowledge of halitosis was approximately the same in both grades, but, surprisingly, the third graders gave some incorrect answers in this area. From the results of this study, the third grade students appeared to have higher motivation to study halitosis treatment than the first graders. However, the upper grade students seemed to lack some knowledge, which may be due to the extended time since they had studied the topic at school. It is necessary for us to improve student motivation for studying halitosis and for maintaining their knowledge in order to better perform the treatment of halitosis after the students become dental hygienists.