Criticism of the organoleptic examination for the diagnosis of oral halitosis.

Organoleptic examination (sniffing and scoring oral odor) was used as a reference standard of halitosis measurement. However, there are several problems that make the diagnostic value of organoleptic examination questionable. This paper revisits risks, inconsistencies and redundancies in protocols and concepts related to organoleptic examination by comparing contemporary techniques and gas detectors or electronic noses. It can be concluded that there is no reason to think that scoring the odor by sniffing the mouth of the patients obtains sufficient evidence for the diagnosis of halitosis.