Objective: To measure production of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) responsible for halitosis on the crown surface of the maxillary fourth premolar of dogs with gingivitis.
Animals: 28 dogs owned by veterinary students who complained that their dogs had halitosis.
Procedure: Clinical dental indices (plaque index, calculus index, and gingival index) were measured on the most diseased maxillary fourth premolar tooth. Production of VSC from the crown surface of the tooth was recorded by use of a portable sulfide monitor. Measurements were performed several times on each dog over a 2-month period, resulting in 98 series of measurements.
Results: Dogs with heavy amounts of plaque or calculus (plaque and calculus indices of 2 or 3) had significantly higher VSC readings than did dogs with no visible plaque and calculus accumulation. Significant (P = 0.0008) correlation was found between VSC measurements and plaque index, and significant correlations were found between VSC measurements and calculus index (P = 0.00118) and gingival index (P = 0.00475).
Conclusion: VSC production recorded on the crown of maxillary fourth premolar teeth of dogs with gingivitis is significantly correlated with the amount of plaque and calculus accumulation and with severity of gingivitis.
Clinical relevance: VSC measurements on tooth surfaces could be used as a site-specific method to assess, in conjunction with clinical dental variables, effectiveness of dental hygiene products.