{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T11:02:07Z","timestamp":1785409327319,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,12]],"date-time":"2026-06-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781222400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00afdp487","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Halitosis in geriatric patients is multifactorial, but the joint contribution of prosthetic rehabilitation type and polypharmacy after routine dental procedures has rarely been quantified. We investigated how prosthesis type, polypharmacy, and salivary function were associated with volatile sulfur compound (VSC) burden and self-perceived halitosis in elderly dental patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 88 patients aged \u226565 years, four weeks after completing routine dental procedures. Participants were stratified into three groups: complete denture wearers (n = 30), partial removable denture wearers (n = 28), and fixed prostheses\/implants (n = 30). We measured unstimulated salivary flow rate (uSFR), tongue coating index (TCI), denture biofilm index, total VSCs (Halimeter\u00ae), organoleptic score (0\u20135), and self-perceived halitosis. Polypharmacy, comorbidities, and the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) were recorded. Analyses included one- and two-way ANOVA, Spearman correlations, theory-informed multivariable linear and logistic regression, exploratory mediation analysis, and ROC curves. Results: Forty-two participants (47.7%) reported halitosis. Mean VSC differed across groups (complete dentures 278.2 \u00b1 38.6 ppb; partial 211.2 \u00b1 46.3 ppb; fixed 164.4 \u00b1 43.9 ppb; ANOVA p &lt; 0.001). uSFR correlated inversely with VSC (\u03c1 = \u22120.61, p &lt; 0.001) and TCI correlated positively (\u03c1 = 0.56, p &lt; 0.001). A significant prosthesis \u00d7 polypharmacy interaction was observed (F = 3.74, p = 0.029, \u03b72p = 0.082): polypharmacy was associated with higher VSC most clearly among partial and fixed prostheses wearers, whereas complete denture wearers showed high VSC levels regardless of polypharmacy status. Exploratory mediation findings were consistent with partial indirect association, with 45.9% of the polypharmacy\u2013VSC association statistically explained by reduced uSFR; however, the cross-sectional design precludes causal or temporal interpretation. The full multivariable model showed apparent discrimination for self-perceived halitosis (AUC = 0.92), while the simplified four-item chairside composite model showed AUC = 0.89; neither estimate was optimism-corrected or externally validated. Conclusions: In elderly post-procedure patients, complete denture wearing, polypharmacy, and salivary hypofunction were independently and jointly associated with higher halitosis burden. Reduced salivary flow was consistent with a partial indirect statistical pathway in the polypharmacy\u2013VSC association, supporting hydration counseling and meticulous prosthesis hygiene as low-cost geriatric interventions. Sensitivity analyses excluding implant-supported restorations, participants with MMSE scores of 24\u201326, and expanded mediation models including TCI and biofilm\/plaque did not materially change the main inference.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15124590","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T08:57:58Z","timestamp":1781513878000},"page":"4590","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Clinical Determinants of Halitosis in Elderly Patients with Complete, Partial, and Fixed Prosthetic Rehabilitation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-1059-7582","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Romina Georgiana","family":"Bita","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, General and Dento-Maxillary Imaging, Dental Medicine Faculty, \u201cVictor Babe\u0219\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timi\u0219oara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Otilia Cornelia","family":"Bolo\u0219","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Aesthetics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cVictor Babe\u0219\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timi\u0219oara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Edida","family":"Maghet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cVictor Babe\u0219\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timi\u0219oara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adrian","family":"Bolo\u0219","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Specialization of Dental Technology, \u201cVictor Babe\u0219\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timi\u0219oara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raluca","family":"Briceag","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ovidius University of Constan\u021ba, 900684 Constan\u021ba, 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"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Patil, S., Yadav, N., Mousa, M.A., Alzahrani, A.H., Alqahtani, A., Alqahtani, S.M., and Alam, T. 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