The efficacy of tonsillar ablation with coblator in the treatment of pediatric halitosis due to chronic caseous tonsillitis.

ABSTRACT
Aim: Halitosis is a condition that impacts both the individual and their social interactions. The most common source of halitosis is the oral cavity. Caseum accumulated in the crypts of the tonsils can cause halitosis. In treating tonsil caseum, total tonsillectomy or tonsil ablation surgeries are performed with instruments such as coblator. This retrospective study evaluates the effectiveness of tonsil ablation with coblator in treating halitosis caused by caseous tonsillitis in children.
Patients and Methods: A total of 116 children who underwent tonsil coblation for caseous tonsillitis between June 2016 and June 2019 were included in the study. Patients who underwent simultaneous adenoidectomy were not included in the study. The presence of odor before and after the operation was evaluated using the Finkelstein test. The pre-operative and post-operative halitosis levels were evaluated with a Visual Analog Scale. The recovery levels were determined by the postoperative halitosis recovery scale.
Results: The presence of caseum was confirmed perioperatively in all patients. The mean age of the patients was 6.77 years, with 65 males and 51 females included in the study. The follow-up periods of the patients varied between 10 and 43 months (mean: 25.9). The level of halitosis on the visual analog scale before tonsil coblation was 6.97, and it was found to be 1.75 in the postoperative evaluation. The results were statistically significant (p< 0.001). The mothers were asked about recovery in postoperative halitosis levels. Mothers reported that 82% of patients (n = 95) had complete or nearly complete improvement in halitosis. 6% of patients (n = 7) showed no improvement.
Conclusion: Palatine tonsil coblation is an effective and safe method for the treatment of halitosis because of tonsil caseum.
Keywords: Pediatric halitosis, coblator, caseum, tonsillitis