Background: It has been shown that the patient's personality type can affect the
outcome of dental diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to
investigate the relationship between self-reported halitosis and halitosis
identified by the organoleptic method in two distinct personality types, A and B.
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the
patients attending the dentistry school of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical
Sciences between December 2019- and March 2022. After filling out the consent
form, patients were asked to complete Bortner's questionnaire to determine their
personality type. Then, another questionnaire related to halitosis self-awareness
was given to them. The organoleptic method was performed to determine the
presence of halitosis. Descriptive statistics methods were used to report the
results. Results: The frequency of halitosis was significantly higher (P = 0.002)
among patients with personality type B. However, the frequency of self-reported
halitosis was considerably higher (P =0.000) among those with personality type
A. There was more agreement between the examiner and the patients in the
group with personality type A. A significant relation exists between personality
types (A and B) and agreement between examiners and patients about halitosis
(P-Value = 0.018). However, the relationship between age and gender factors and
the agreement was insignificant (P-value> 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the
relationship between halitosis and personality type, dental professionals should
be aware of personality effects on a patient's halitosis.
Keywords: Halitosis, Personality type, Bortner's questionnaire, Organoleptic
method.