BMJ 1994;308:652 (5 March)

Letters

Managing halitosis Thorough history and examination are important

EDITOR, - Crispian Scully and colleagues' editorial describes oral and dental causes of halitosis and their treatment.1 It is important to emphasise that a thorough history and clinical examination must be undertaken. This must include examination of the nose, postnasal space, and all mucosal surfaces of the pharynx in addition to complete examination of the oral cavity and dentition.

Halitosis may be a presenting complaint of infection, inflammation, or malignancy of any part of the upper aerodigestive tract, and delay in diagnosis may adversely affect prognosis. Early oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas, in particular, have few symptoms,2 and clinicians must be vigilant in their examination to avoid diagnostic delay. It is dangerous to assume that halitosis is solely due to dental, periodontal, or dietary causes.

The authors overlook the fact that management of halitosis must be tailored to its precise cause and may include surgery - for example, antral washouts, adenoidectomy, . . . [Full text of this article]


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Compliance in screening programmes
D Torgerson and C Donaldson
BMJ 1994 308: 978. [Extract] [Full Text]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Torgerson, D, Donaldson, C (1994). Compliance in screening programmes. BMJ 308: 978-978 [Full text]  
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