{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T13:49:12Z","timestamp":1780321752881,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756252800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Morning halitosis undermines social well-being, yet the combined influence of basal salivary flow and tongue coating in healthy adults is unclear. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 92 university students (18\u201335 years), we measured unstimulated salivary flow rate (uSFR), tongue-coating index (TCI), total volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs; Halimeter\u00ae), organoleptic score (0\u20135), and self-perceived halitosis (yes\/no) under standardized early-morning conditions. Results: Thirty-seven participants (40.2%) reported morning halitosis and showed lower uSFR (0.2 \u00b1 0.1 vs. 0.3 \u00b1 0.1 mL\u00b7min\u22121) and higher TCI (2.3 \u00b1 0.5 vs. 1.9 \u00b1 0.4), with higher organoleptic scores (3.4 \u00b1 0.6 vs. 2.1 \u00b1 0.7) and VSCs (272.9 \u00b1 39.8 vs. 163.7 \u00b1 45.9 ppb; all p &lt; 0.001). VSCs correlated inversely with uSFR (\u03c1 = \u22120.58) and positively with TCI (\u03c1 = 0.44). In multivariable models, uSFR (\u03b2 = \u22120.53) and TCI (\u03b2 = 0.31) explained 54% of VSC variance; each 0.1 mL\u00b7min\u22121 fall in uSFR increased the odds of self-perceived halitosis 1.9-fold (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Even among healthy young adults, lower basal saliva and heavier tongue coating are independent contributors to morning malodor. Hydration, daily tongue cleaning, and addressing mouth breathing are pragmatic, first-line strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14176072","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,28]],"date-time":"2025-08-28T09:31:12Z","timestamp":1756373472000},"page":"6072","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Salivary Flow, Tongue-Coating Burden, and Morning Breath Odor: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7286-3161","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Malina","family":"Popa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4351-7726","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefania","family":"Dinu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Magda Mihaela","family":"Luca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bogdan Andrei","family":"Bumbu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410073 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Serban","family":"Talpos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Discipline of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"297","article-title":"Halitosis: A review of the literature on its prevalence, impact and control","volume":"12","author":"Akaji","year":"2014","journal-title":"Oral. 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