Halitosis (bad breath) is a common condition that is socially crippling for vast parts of the population and results from malodorous volatile
sulfur compounds, which are by-products of oral bacteria. In this doubled-blind, randomized study, 75 subjects with
halitosis were evaluated. The participants were treated with or without abrasive
microcapsules (candy) containing
zinc gluconate 0.5%,
propolis 2%, and a combination of both (
zinc 0.25% and
propolis 1%). The
halitosis was assessed by a Halimeter, a portable instrument that measures the emission of volatile
sulfur compounds at different time exposures to the treatments. Breezy candy (which is
sugar-free) was found effective in the treatment of
halitosis for up to 4 hours. While treatment with regular candy (group 1, traditional candy without abrasive particles) showed reduction in malodor of 10%, Breezy candy showed reduction of up to 60% in malodor (P < .0001). Since this was not a longitudinal study, the total duration of the effect was not assessed. Breezy candy in the abrasive form with
zinc additive had the best potential to positively affect malodor when treating patients with
halitosis. The combined effect of abrasion by
microcapsules with
zinc supplement represents a novel and successful approach for the treatment of
halitosis.