A randomized placebo-controlled trial of mebendazole for halitosis

Objective: To test whether mebendazole, an antiparasitic drug, would affect recovery from halitosis. Design: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial between April 1999 and September 2001. Setting: A referral medical, center. Patients: One hundred sixty-two children aged 5 to 16 years whose parents complained about their chronic bad breath. Interventions: Children were randomly assigned to receive mebendazole (n = 82) or Placebo (n = 80). Main Outcome Measure: Parents whose children had halitosis were evaluated for halitosis at 2 months of treatment by questionnaire. The microbiologist investigated the stool samples of children for parasitosis at the begin-ning of the trial and also at the end of the trial in children who were treated with mebendazole. Results: Among those children who had evidence of parasites in stool samples at the beginning of the trials 18 of 28 who were treated with mebendazole recovered from halitosis, compared with 2 of 24 who received placebo (relative risk [RR] for recovery, 7.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-29.9). Among those who did not have stool parasites, 14 of 52 improved with mebendazole, compared with 10 of 48 taking placebo (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.6-2.6). Mebendazole intake made a significant difference whether or not the children had parasites (P = .002). Conclusions: Parasitosis should be considered As a possible cause of halitosis in the pediatric patient population. Mebendazole therapy seems to offer benefit to those children with parasites as a potential cause of their halitosis.