Abstract
The aim of this work was to identify the bacteria associated with halitosis, and by questionnaire to test whether diet, oral hygiene habits and illness factors were associated with bacterial amounts in the oral cavity and the Il-1α/Il-1β polymorphism. Bad breath is a frequent problem in Latvia and for many patients may cause important emotional and psychological distress. As there are different causes of halitosis, this might be also reflected in the bacterial community of the oral cavity. The concentration of bacteria in the oral cavity was significantly higher in halitosis patients than in the studied control group, who did not complain about halitosis. The PCR results corresponded with halimetric values. The main cause of halitosis was found to be oral pathology — increased amounts of oral anaerobic bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythietensis, Treponema denticola, and Prevotella intermedia.