The Effect of Mechanical Tongue Cleaning on Oral Malodor and Tongue Coating

Background: Mechanical tongue cleaning is an important oral hygiene procedure; it is known that a significant cause of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), a major component of bad breath, is due to the bacteria coating the tongue. This study was conducted to identify the effect of mechanical tongue cleaning on reducing bad breath and tongue coating. Methods: Various mechanical tongue-cleaning methods were studied, including removing tongue coating using a toothbrush, removing tongue coating using a tongue scraper, and removing tongue coating using a toothbrush and a tongue scraper together. The results were as follows. Results: First, the organic bad breath measurement value after cleaning the tongue significantly decreased in the group using only the toothbrush, the group using only the tongue scraper, and the group using both the toothbrush and the tongue scraper. However, there was no difference between the groups. Second, after cleaning the tongue, the measured values of the tongue coating in the values of WTCI (Winkel’s tongue coating index) and Qray view were significantly reduced in all three groups, and there was no difference between the groups. Third, the gas measurement value in the oral cavity using a machine significantly decreased only the H2S value of the group using the tongue scraper immediately after the mechanical tongue cleaning. Conclusions: From these results, it can be confirmed that mechanical tongue cleaning is effective at reducing bad breath and tongue coating. However, in this study, there was no difference in the reduction effect according to the tools (groups) used for mechanical tongue cleaning. It can therefore be seen that wiping accurately from the rear of the tongue to the front is more effective at reducing bad breath and tongue coating.

EVALUATION OF THE DISCOMFORT LEVEL IN THE REMOVAL OF TONGUE COATING

Aim: The main objective of this study was to analyze which tongue cleaning technique to remove the tongue coating causes less discomfort/anxiety to the patient. Methodology: The study selected patients treated at the Clinic of Centro Universitário da Serra Gaúcha-FSG between the months of May and October 2018. The patients were randomized so that each one of them went through the three groups, receiving different hygiene instruction techniques language in each group. Three techniques were analyzed: with a multi-bristled toothbrush, with gauze and with a tongue scraper. The degree of anxiety for each method was evaluated through a questionnaire. Results: With the toothbrush, 3.4% of the patients had mild vomiting, 40% moderate and 56.6% strong/strong degree. With gauze, 20% of the participants had a mild degree of anxiety, a moderate degree of 73.3% and a very/strong degree of 6.7%. With the tongue scraper, 53.3% of the sample had a mild degree of anxiety, a moderate degree of 40% and a very/strong degree of 6.7%. All participants reported feeling anxious about all the techniques performed, however the technique that generated the least discomfort was the technique performed with the tongue scraper. Conclusion: Based on the data analysis of this study, the patients presented different degrees of anxiety in face of all the tongue hygiene techniques used, however, the technique that generated the least discomfort was the one that used the tongue scraper as a hygiene instrument.

Pengaruh Edukasi Virtual Menyikat Lidah Terhadap Kondisi COATED TONGUE Pada Siswa SMP Negeri 1 Pematang Tanah Jawa di Masa Pandemik Tahun 2020

ABSTRAK Lidah merupakan salah satu organ vital yang terdapat dalam rongga mulut. Lidah mempunyai selaput alami ketika sehat. Tetapi jika kegagalan sel terjadi, maka menimbulkan infeksi pada permukaan lidah berwarna putih disebut lidah berlapis. Pembersihan lidah untuk mencegah terjadinya infeksi tersebut. Oleh karena itu, masyarakat perlu mendapatkan edukasi mengenai istilah lidah dengan edukasi virtual. Praktek kesehatan gigi dan mulut tetap harus ditingkatkan. Salah satunya dengan memberukan edukasi virtual. Edukasi virtual mengacu pada proses pembelajaran melalui jaringan internet yang menanganinya untuk mengatasi masalah keterpisahan ruang dan waktu antara siswa dan pengajar melalui smartphone. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat pengaruh edukasi virtual menyikat lidah terhadap kondisi lidah yang dilapisi pada siswa SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa di masa pandemi tahun 2020. Jenis penelitian adalah eksperimen semu (eksperimen semu) dengan desain pretest dan posttest. Jumlah sampel 20 orang. Penentuan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Uji analisis yang digunakan adalah wilcoxon. Pada penelitian ditemukan kondisi kondisi lidah terlapis sebelum dan sesudah edukasi virtual adalah p value = 0,000 <0,05). Kesimpulan penelitian ini yaitu ada pengaruh edukasi virtual terhadap kondisi lidah terlapisi pada SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa dengan nilai p = 0,000. Jenis penelitian adalah semu eksperimen (quasi experiment) dengan desain pretest dan posttest. Jumlah sampel 20 orang. Penentuan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Uji analisis yang digunakan adalah wilcoxon. Pada penelitian ditemukan kondisi kondisi lidah terlapis sebelum dan sesudah edukasi virtual adalah p value = 0,000 <0,05). Kesimpulan penelitian ini yaitu ada pengaruh edukasi virtual terhadap kondisi lidah terlapisi pada SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa dengan nilai p = 0,000. Jenis penelitian adalah semu eksperimen (quasi experiment) dengan desain pretest dan posttest. Jumlah sampel 20 orang. Penentuan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Uji analisis yang digunakan adalah wilcoxon. Pada penelitian ditemukan kondisi kondisi lidah terlapis sebelum dan sesudah edukasi virtual adalah p value = 0,000 <0,05). Kesimpulan penelitian ini yaitu ada pengaruh edukasi virtual terhadap kondisi lidah terlapisi pada SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa dengan nilai p = 0,000. ABSTRACT The tongue is one of the vital organs found in the oral cavity. The tongue has a natural membrane when it is healthy. But if cell failure occurs, it causes infection on the white surface layer of the tongue called coated tongue. Tongue cleaning is recommended to prevent these infections. Therefore, people need to get education about tongue cleaning with virtual education. Dental and oral health practices still need to be improved. One of them is by providing virtual education. Virtual education refers to the learning process through the internet network whose application is intended to overcome the problem of separation of space and time between students and teachers via smartphones. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of virtual tongue brushing education on coated tongue conditions in students of SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa during the pandemic in 2020. This type of research is a quasi experiment with pretest and posttest designs. The number of samples is 20 people. The determination of the sample in this study used inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analytical test used was Wilcoxon. In the study, it was found that the difference in the conditions of coated tongue before and after virtual education was p value = 0.000 <0.05). The conclusion of this study is that there is an effect of virtual education on the condition of coated tongue in SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa with p value =0.000. Kata Kunci: Edukasi virtual, lidah, lidah berlapis

A Chemical-Mechanical Tongue Cleaning Method: An Approach to Control Halitosis and to Remove the Invisible Tongue Biofilm, A Possible Cause of Persistent Taste Disorder

Tongue coating or tongue biofilm is the main and most common cause of halitosis, as shown by numerous studies. There are four types of lingual papillae, three of which contain taste buds (vallate, fungiform, and foliate papillae). The filiform papillae are the most numerous and although they do not have taste cells, they surround the fungiform papillae and are in contact with the vallate and foliate papillae, which have taste buds. The anatomy of a single filiform papilla shows that it is not a simple bud coming out of the surface of the tongue, but a group of individual filaments in within the tongue biofilm can accumulate. In case of shear forces exerted on the papillae (i.e., the use of a tongue scraping), the sturdy papillae bend slightly and protect the then embedded biofilm remaining in the interstitial volume. Tongue coating may thus physically limit tastants’ access to taste pores and thus prevents their binding to taste receptors. A chemical-mechanical tongue cleaning technique (DC technique) can reach this biofilm with a better efficiency than the traditional methods to clean the tongue, such as the use of a tongue scraper or a toothbrush. DC technique removed 67,5% more coating than the tongue scraper and 148% more than the toothbrush. Further research should compare these methods concerning taste disorders.

THE SALTY TASTE THRESHOLD AND TONGUE CLEANING HABITS IN HEALTHY YOUNG ADULT MALE SMOKERS

Introduction: Smoking has adverse effects on the body such as various types of cancer, coronary heart diseases, stroke, peripheral vascular diseases, and oral changes including decreased taste sensation. There have been many studies on the effects of smoking on taste threshold, but specific studies in a group of young adult males and data on the frequency of tongue cleaning habits have not been reported. This study aims to determine the salty taste threshold and tongue cleaning habits in healthy young adult male smokers. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study, and the subjects were taken by consecutive sampling. The criteria for the subjects were healthy males, aged 18-24 years old, who had a habit of smoking 10 cigarettes or more per day and had smoked for more than 1 year. A questionnaire was conducted including data on tongue cleaning habits before measuring the salt taste threshold using various concentrations of sodium chloride solution which are 0,012M, 0,014M, and 0,016M. Introduction: Smoking has adverse effects on the body such as various types of cancer, coronary heart diseases, stroke, peripheral vascular diseases, and oral changes including decreased taste sensation. There have been many studies on the effects of smoking on taste threshold, but specific studies in a group of young adult males and data on the frequency of tongue cleaning habits have not been reported. This study aims to determine the salty taste threshold and tongue cleaning habits in healthy young adult male smokers. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study, and the subjects were taken by consecutive sampling. The criteria for the subjects were healthy males, aged 18-24 years old, who had a habit of smoking 10 cigarettes or more per day and had smoked for more than 1 year. A questionnaire was conducted including data on tongue cleaning habits before measuring the salt taste threshold using various concentrations of sodium chloride solution which are 0,012M, 0,014M, and 0,016M.