Asymptomatic HBV and HCV carriers, bad breath and gengivitis

The causes of halitosis are numerous and related to conditions dependent or not on oral and general health. In 10% of cases, bad breath results from systemic disorders, such as otorhinolaryngological diseases, lung and respiratory disorders, diabetes, kidney and urological diseases, gastroesophageal reflux and gastric-intestinal imbalance. The aim of the present study was the assessment of the relationships between past hepatitis, B and C Virus infection, liver stiffness, and gingivitis. Methods 32 subjects (13 male, age between 25,83 and 72,33 years old , mean value 48,75, and 19 female, age between 28,08 and 73,91 years old, mean value 43,91), 22 with past hepatitis B Virus (10 ♂ and 12 ♀), and 10 with past Hepatitis C Virus (3 ♂ and 7 ♀) and liver stiffness values < 8.7 (Fibroscan®, Echosens Paris, France) were studied. All had an initial thorough dental examination (T0) including tongue coating, plaque, gingival, bleeding on probing and PSR indexes, spoon test and analysis of volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) in oral breath sample by a gas chromatography device (OralChroma®, Abilit, Japan) that allows quantification of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) and dimethyl sulphide [(CH3)2S] . Then the patients were treated with scaling and root-planning, instructed and motivated to oral hygiene (T1) for reduce the effect of gingival inflammation on bad breath production. After 10 days the initial parameters were collected again and the patients submitted to another professional oral hygiene (T2). Finally after 30 days from the first survey and after oral hygiene all the parameters were collected again (T3). Conclusions: Our data show that professional and domiciliary oral hygiene improve the health of gingival tissues and the organoleptic characteristics of the breath in patients with past hepatitis B and C virus and liver stiffness values <8.7. The attention of dentists and dental hygienists must be therefore aimed to reduce the incidence of the intraoral factors of halitosis in these subjects as in the healty people.