Brakisefalik ve Non-Brakisefalik Evcil Kedilerde Halitozis Şiddeti ile Dental Plak Birikimi Arasındaki İlişkinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Halitozis, kedi klinik pratiğinde sık karşılaşılan ve çoğu zaman altta yatan periodontal patolojiyi yansıtan bir bulgudur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, rutin klinik koşullarda değerlendirilen kedilerde halitozis şiddeti ile dental plak birikimi arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek ve özellikle kafatası konformasyonunun (brakisefalik ve non-brakisefalik) ile diğer konağa bağlı faktörlerin etkisini değerlendirmektir. Kesitsel tasarıma sahip bu çalışmaya rutin muayene amacıyla başvuran, medyan yaşı 24 ay olan 114 sahipli kedi dâhil edildi. Halitozis şiddeti altı puanlı organoleptik skala (0-5) kullanılarak, dental plak birikimi ise dört puanlı bir indeks (1-4) ile değerlendirildi. Yaş, cinsiyet, kısırlaştırma durumu, vücut ağırlığı, beslenme tipi ve kraniyofasiyal morfoloji kaydedildi. Veriler Mann-Whitney U, Spearman korelasyonu ve çok değişkenli sıralı lojistik regresyon ile analiz edildi. Çalışma popülasyonunun %64,8'inde klinik halitozis saptandı. Brakisefalik (n = 41) ve non-brakisefalik (n = 73) kediler arasında halitozis şiddeti açısından anlamlı bir fark saptanmadı (p = 0,73). Tek değişkenli analizde erkek kedilerde daha yüksek skorlar gözlenmiş olsa da, çok değişkenli modelde dental plak birikimi halitozis şiddetinin tek bağımsız belirleyicisi olarak belirlendi (OR = 3.18, %95 GA: 1.82-5.56, p <0.001). Plak yükü için düzeltme yapıldığında kafatası konformasyonu ve diğer demografik faktörlerin ağız kokusu ile bağımsız bir ilişkisi bulunmadı. Bu bulgular, kedilerde halitozis şiddetinin kraniyofasiyal morfolojiden ziyade mevcut oral hijyen durumuna bağlı olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu nedenle, ırk veya yaştan bağımsız olarak, belirgin halitozis varlığında erken periodontal girişim önerilmelidir.

Keywords

• brakisefalik
• dental plak
• halitozis
• kedi diş hekimliği
• oral sağlık

Evaluation of the Association Between Halitosis Severity and Dental Plaque Accumulation in Brachycephalic and Non-Brachycephalic Domestic Cats

Abstract

Halitosis is a common clinical finding in feline practice and is often associated with periodontal disease; however, the role of host-related factors remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between halitosis severity and dental plaque accumulation in a routine clinical population of cats. Particular emphasis was placed on the influence of skull conformation (brachycephalic vs non-brachycephalic) and other demographic variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 114 client-owned cats presented for routine examination. The median age was 24 months, and the population included 41 brachycephalic and 73 non-brachycephalic cats. Halitosis was graded using a six-point organoleptic scale (0-5), and dental plaque was assessed using a four-point index (1-4). Data on age, sex, neutering status, body weight, diet, and craniofacial morphology were recorded. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman’s correlation, and multivariable ordinal logistic regression. Clinically apparent halitosis was observed in 64.8% of the cats. No significant difference in halitosis severity was found between brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic cats (P=0.73). Although univariate analysis indicated higher halitosis scores in males, multivariable analysis identified dental plaque accumulation as the only independent predictor of halitosis severity (odds ratio =3.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.82-5.56, P<0.001). Skull conformation, age, diet, and other host-related factors were not independently associated with oral malodor. These findings suggest that halitosis severity in domestic cats is primarily determined by oral hygiene status rather than craniofacial morphology or demographic characteristics.

Keywords

• Brachycephalic
• Dental Plaque
• Feline Dentistry
• Halitosis
• Oral Health.

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