Halitosis, reduced salivary flow and the quality of life in pre-kidney transplantation patients

Abstract

Background: Halitosis is a condition that affects 50% of adults and one third of patients with chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate oral manifestations and volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) associated with halitosis and quality of life in pre-kidney transplantation candidates. Material and methods: The organoleptic test (OT) and halimetry (HA) (before and after cysteine mouthwash) were performed in patients with the Oralchroma® device, stimulated (SE) and non-stimulated sialometry (SN), Tongue Coating Index (TCI). The OHIP-14 questionnaire was administered to assess the impact of oral health on quality of life. Results: Fourteen individuals with a mean age of 49.64 ± 13.35 years were evaluated. In the organoleptic test, 57.14% of the individuals presented halitosis. Oralchroma results showed that dimethyl sulfide was above the threshold in 85.71% of the individuals, while hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan were above threshold in 28.57%; after the use of cysteine, hydrogen sulfide was present in 100% of the cases, dimethyl sulfide in 57.14% and methyl mercaptan in 50%. In the non-stimulated sialometry, 57.14% of the individuals presented hyposalivation and 21.42% in the stimulated. Regarding the tongue coating index, 100% of the individuals presented tongue coating, with a mean of 7.64. The assessment of impact of oral health on quality of life showed a negative impact in all dimensions. Conclusions: Tongue coating, in association with hydrogen sulfide, was the main cause of halitosis in the study subjects, and hyposalivation may contribute to higher tongue-coating indices. These oral changes negatively affect the quality of life for pre-kidney transplantation patients.