Subject: Impact of tongue cleansers on
microbial load and taste
Tongue cleaning has been advocated to improve oral malodor and
to reduce reinfection of periodontal niches by eliminating tongue
coating and/or reducing putrefaction by bacteria.
This cross-over, single-blind study on periodontitis-free, non-smoking,
subjects with habitual oral hygiene (n=16), evaluated the effect
of tongue cleaning (with either plastic scraper or nylon multi-tufted
toothbrush), on the microbial load of the tongue dorsum (anterior
and posterior of the sulcus terminalis), the extent of tongue
coating, and taste sensation for bitter, sweet, salt, and sour.
Both devices had been used twice daily for 2 weeks (toothbrush
three forward-backward movements along the linea mediana and for
each longitudinal third of the tongue; two strokes with the scraper
along the linea mediana and along the borders of the tongue).
Two weeks of tongue brushing or scraping resulted in only negligible
reductions in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria on the tongue (reductions
<0.5 log). The amount of tongue coating, however, decreased
significantly (p<0.05), with both devices. The taste sensation
improved after 2 weeks of tongue cleaning, especially with the
scraper (significant improvements for quinine and sodium chloride).
Tongue cleaning improves taste sensation and seems to reduce the
substrata for putrefaction, rather than the bacterial load.
[Quirynen M, Avontroodt P, Soers C, Zhao H, Pauwels M, van Steenberghe
D. Impact of tongue cleansers on microbial load and taste. J Clin
Periodontol 2004;31(7): 506 - 510.]
