Mechanical tongue cleaning is a worthwhile procedure to improve the taste sensation

Abstract

Background: There are still only a few therapeutic strategies to improve taste sensation, which is part of oral health and quality of life. Objective: Therefore, here we aimed to investigate gustatory functions of healthy subjects performing mechanical tongue cleaning (MTC), an easy-to-perform oral hygiene procedure, to demonstrate taste changes and to describe possible negative side effects. Methods: Prior to and 14 days following MTC with an Orabrush ® , the following tests were conducted in 65 healthy participants including both non-smokers (n = 50, 76.9%) and smokers (n = 15, 23.1%): 'taste strips' test, the Winkel Tongue Coating Index (WTCI), and subjective self-assessment. Results: Among non-smokers, subjective self-assessments of gustatory function (P < .01), halitosis (P = .03) and tongue coating (P < .01) improved after 14 days of MTC; furthermore, they exhibited higher total taste (P < .01) and lower WTCI (P < .01) values. Their age and sex did not correlate with the differences between the pre-and post-MTC WTCI scores; however, differences between pre-and post-MTC total taste values were correlated with age. The total taste value improvements were greater in non-smokers aged 45-91 years than in those aged 20-44 years (P = .01). In smokers, total taste values (P < .01), as well as sweet (P = .03) and sour (P = .04) taste values, were significantly improved after 14 days of MTC. Conclusion: Fourteen days of MTC using an Orabrush ® can improve gustatory functions in non-smokers and smokers. Therefore, MTC might be a useful, costless and easy option to improve taste and should be considered as a part of the daily oral care. K E Y W O R D S mechanical tongue cleaning, Orabrush ® , oral care, taste, Winkel Tongue Coating Index This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Tongue coating index as a risk factor of decline of taste sensitivity in the elderly population

“…Routine mechanical tongue cleaning improves gustatory function. 14 Seerangaiyan et al study 7 also reinforced that tongue brushing can increase salty taste sensitivity. However, another study by Solemdal et al 15 found there is no correlation between taste sensitivity and coated tongue.…”

“…They also suggested that tongue brushing, which was accompanied by mechanical stimulation of the tongue surface might increase blood flow within tongue papillae to increase taste sensitivity. 14 Daily tongue cleaning (at least once a day) would have better impact on reducing tongue coating and improving taste sensitivity level than weekly (once a week, or not every day). 18 In conclusion, good oral health is needed to maintain gustatory function.…”

Tongue Cleaning in Oral Hygiene. Part 2

“…Предполагается, что механическое удаление налета со спинки языка освобождает доступ пищи через вкусовые поры к вкусовым рецепторам [24] и, следовательно, позволяет поддерживать/восстановить базовую вкусовую чувствительность, что считается важным с гедонистической точки зрения и определяющим формирование аппетита и чувства насыщения, а также объем потребления соли и сахара, риск переедания и недоедания, то есть уровень здоровья и качество жизни человека [25]. Наиболее активно эта тема обсуждается в гериатрии [26][27][28] (при нормальном старении, в частности, ухудшаются параметры саливации, сокращается количество грибовидных сосочков и деградируют вкусовые луковицы, уплотняются стенки сосудов передних третей языка [25,29]): механическая чистка языка, в процессе которой не только снимают ЛН, но одновременно стимулируют тройничный нерв [24], кровоток [29] и саливацию [25], представляется чуть ли не единственной реальной стратегией для снижения вкусовых порогов и повыше ния надпорогового восприятия интенсивности вкуса у пожилых и старых людей [27,29].…”

“…Результаты десятка исследований подтверждают, что субъективная оценка чувствительности к основным вкусам, а также результаты объективных тестов вкусовой «Стоматология Эстетика Инновации», 2023, том 7, № 2 Лекции и обзоры Lectures and Reviews функции повышаются после чистки языка, что заметно даже после однократной процедуры скрапинга [24] и дает устойчивые результаты спустя 10-14 дней регулярной чистки языка [26,29]. Отмечено, что описанный эффект больше выражен у людей старшего возраста [29] (порог для соленого восстанавливается до показателей молодых участников исследования) и ярче проявляется в отношении кислого, горького и соленого вкусов [25].…”

Tongue cleaning in the elderly and its role in the respiratory and swallowing functions: Benefits and medical perspectives

“…Removal of tongue coating using mechanical tongue cleaning improves gustatory functions regardless of smoking habits. 50,51 A study targeted at nurses demonstrated that tongue cleaning with tongue brushing improved taste sensation; in contrast, using mouth rinse did not change its threshold, 52 suggesting that mechanical stimulation of the tongue's dorsum is critical to improving the sensation of taste. A study on gustatory function in older adults revealed that removing the tongue coating twice a day improves their perception of taste.…”