{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T22:10:53Z","timestamp":1785276653697,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,31]],"date-time":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1630368000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Open Access Publication Funds of G\u00f6ttingen University","award":["NA"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NA"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks has increased, resulting in potential health-related side-effects. Therefore, the study aimed to analyse the effect of wearing face masks on self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis. A questionnaire addressing the daily wearing time of different face masks (community masks, surgical\/medical masks and KN95-\/N95-\/FFP2-masks) and self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis was given to adults attending or working at a university hospital. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and multiple linear regression analysis (p &lt; 0.05). 3750 participants (age: 50.4 \u00b1 15.5 years; 60.0% female) were included. During the pandemic, face masks were used for 4.7 \u00b1 3.8 h per day: community masks: 0.9 \u00b1 2.0 h, medical\/surgical masks: 1.9 \u00b1 2.8 h and KN95-\/N95-\/FFP2-masks: 1.9 \u00b1 2.5 h per day. The use of face masks significantly increased self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis (both p &lt; 0.001). Self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis increased with increasing wearing time (community masks: dry mouth: p &lt; 0.001, halitosis: p = 0.014; medical\/surgical masks: both: p &lt; 0.001; KN95-\/N95-\/FFP2-masks: dry mouth: p &lt; 0.001, halitosis: p = 0.011). The perception of dry mouth and halitosis was increased in females compared to males (both: p &lt; 0.001). Participants used to wearing face masks prior to the pandemic perceived dry mouth to a higher extent (p = 0.043). Self-perceived halitosis was lower in older than in younger participants (p &lt; 0.001). Due to the increased perception of dry mouth and halitosis, people might abstain from wearing face masks. Further studies need to analyse measurable changes in dry mouth or halitosis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18179180","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,31]],"date-time":"2021-08-31T08:42:32Z","timestamp":1630399352000},"page":"9180","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["COVID-19 Pandemic: Effect of Different Face Masks on Self-Perceived Dry Mouth and Halitosis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2169-561X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Philipp","family":"Kanzow","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Viktoria","family":"Dylla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alannah Malina","family":"Mahler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Hrasky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tina","family":"R\u00f6dig","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Felix","family":"Barre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0773-4739","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simone","family":"Scheithauer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Annette","family":"Wiegand","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, University Medical Center G\u00f6ttingen, 37075 G\u00f6ttingen, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e63","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMp2006372","article-title":"Universal masking in hospitals in the COVID-19 era","volume":"382","author":"Klompas","year":"2020","journal-title":"N. 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