Effects of mask wearing on oral health

Abstract

Maintaining a proper oral health routine is crucial for one’s overall health. There are three main types of halitosis: Genuine Halitosis, Pseudo Halitosis, and Halitophobia. Their different causes include: side effects from oral or extraoral diseases or decay of organic matter in the oral cavity. Halitosis is one of the main effects of ‘mask mouth’. ‘Mask mouth’ is a new term invented during the Covid-19 pandemic. When wearing a mask for a long period of time, it results in oral health side effects like halitosis. Several studies show that throughout the pandemic, people neglected their oral health routines, decreased their water intake when wearing a mask, and did not visit the dentist regularly. As the pandemic is over, one would expect that the rates of bad breath to be lower. However, as people continue to wear their masks to ‘mask’ their bad breath, and some people are not aware of their underlying issues (that have halitosis as side effects), bad breath continues to be a problem. The psychological effects associated with mask wearing continue to have an impact on individuals who are self conscious of their malodor. Ultimately, as more research on oral health and mask wearing continues, the long term effects will be assessed.