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

Abstract

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.