Halitosis (VSC levels) in Young and Preteen Girls vs. Boys

Objectives: There is limited published data related to the prevalence of halitosis in young vs. preteen children. Objective: Compare the variation of volatile sulfur compound (VSC) levels in breath samples within and between young vs. preteen girls and boys (4-9 vs. 10-13 yrs. old).
Methods: Methods: Breath samples were collected from a convenience sample of healthy children (n=123) participating in a dental study assessing the subsurface enamel interface beneath restorations in primary teeth. Subjects presented having not eaten or having used any oral hygiene products for a minimum of 3 hours. Breath samples were collected via syringe, per manufacturer instructions, and VSC measurements were made from individual samples using an Oral Chroma™ (OC) halitosis-measuring device (ABIMEDICAL, Osaka, Japan). The OC classifies each sample into the three primary causal components of halitosis: hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide in parts per billion (ppb). The total VSC levels were characterized with means and standard deviations for the entire sample and separately for girls/boys and younger/older children. Gender and age groups’ total VSC concentrations were statistically compared using two-sample t-tests.
Results: Results: There was not a significant difference between the mean concentrations for total VSC levels in girls vs. boys as measured using the OC™ [219ppb (376) vs. 220ppb (366); respectively, p=0.99]. The mean VSC reading was significantly higher in the younger (4-9 yrs.; n=76) vs. older (10-13 yrs.; n=47) children [285ppb (51) vs. 114ppb (21); respectively, p=0.01]
Conclusions: Conclusion: Based on these data, for these age groups, mean total VSC levels in breath was not related to gender. Mean VSC levels in 4 to 9 year olds were more than twice those measured in 10 to 13 year olds. Further research is needed to determine why younger children experience higher VSC levels.