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AIM To describe and compare the oral health perceptions, behaviors, and barriers for utilization of dental care among differently abled and healthy children. METHODS Participants in this cross-sectional study were differently abled and healthy children belonging to the age group of 7-15 years. A questionnaire for measuring the children's perceptions, behaviors, and barriers was developed, validated, and applied to this study. Cronbach's α was calculated to test reliability, and test-retest reliability was assessed by Pearson's correlation test. Chi-square/Fisher exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and factor analysis were also applied. Statistical significant differences were defined as P

Aim: To compare the effects of a regimen consisting of a tooth/tongue gel, tongue cleaner and mouthwash with the effects of using standard fluoride dentifrice on the organoleptic oral malodour score (ORG) and volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs).Materials and methods: A total, 66 non-dental students participated in a 3-week parallel, single-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. The test group used a tongue cleaner, a tooth/tongue gel and mouthwash containing amine fluoride/stannous fluoride and zinc lactate as oral malodour counteractive. The control group used a standard fluoride dentifrice. Measurements were taken in the morning at baseline, at days 1, 7 and 21. The primary outcome was the ORG score. The secondary outcome, the VSC measurement, was assessed using OralChroma™ (H2S, CH3SH, (CH3)2S) and Halimeter®. Tongue coating thickness and tongue discoloration were scored. At baseline and day 21, the participants' self-perceptions were assessed.Results: At day 1 for the ORG, H2S, CH3SH and Halimeter®readings, a significant decrease was observed in the test group. At day 21, the decrease in H2S and the Halimeter®outcomes were maintained for the test group, and a significant increase in tongue surface discoloration was observed. The test group evaluated their "morning breath upon awakening" as significantly better (P=.001) after 21 days.Conclusion: A significant overnight effect on morning oral malodour was observed for most of the parameters in favour of the test group. At day 21, the effect of prolonged use was significant for H2S and the Halimeter®readings, although not for the primary ORG outcome parameter.

Self-inflicted urethral foreign body insertion in men is very rare and an important condition which urologists encounter in their clinical practice. Urologists should be familiar with the different techniques for the removal of these foreign bodies. Most cases are associated with psychiatric disorders. Hence, they should be referred for complete psychiatric evaluation. The emotional condition of the patient and the circumstances under which this act was committed should be investigated at the same time. Many cases of self-inflicted foreign body in the urethra have been reported in the literature such as fishhooks and bullets. However, metallic tongue cleaner in urethra has not yet been reported. Here, we are reporting the case of a 28-year-old male who presented with dysuria for 1 day following insertion of metallic tongue cleaner in the penile urethra, for sexual gratification which, he was unable to remove. The foreign bodies were found in the anterior urethra on X-ray and were successfully removed endoscopically without any complication. The patient was advised to take psychiatric consultation and counseling to prevent future episodes.

Black hairy tongue (BHT) is a condition characterized by the elongation of filiform papillae associated with a marked discoloration, from yellowish-brown to black, and a thick lingual coating. BHT is usually observed in the elderly and in patients with limited self-sufficiency, as a consequence of poor oral hygiene. In this perspective, the patients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) represent a high-risk category for the occurrence of BHT. The fast and inexorable loss of their self-sufficiency due to progressive muscle atrophy as well as the impropriate education of healthcare assistants have demonstrated to have significant reflection on the maintenance of an adequate standard of oral hygiene. This paper firstly described a case of BHT in a patient affected by ALS. A case of BHT in a patient (Caucasic, male, 63 years old) affected by ALS was described. The primary goal of the work was to teach and motivate the patient to the use of the tongue cleaner in association with the local application of chlorexidine 0.20%. Furthermore, in order to support the patient with accurate domiciliary oral hygiene, a proper training for his health-care assistant was provided. The maintenance of the oral health of ALS patient is fundamental to prevent systemic complications that could jeopardize the already fragile physical balance of these patients. The dedicated monitoring by a dentist or a dental hygienist would seem essential in order to achieve this objective.

Background: As a health provider to community, a doctor should himself be aware of his oral health and undergraduate medical students who are future health professionals should also be well aware of their dental hygiene. Hence with an aim to assess the practice and problems about dental hygiene amongst female medical undergraduate students, this study was planned. Objective of the study was to assess the practices and problems regarding oral hygiene among female undergraduate medical students and efforts taken by them to solve these problems. Method: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among female undergraduate medical students residing in a hostel of a medical college. Results: 56.7% girls were using soft tooth brush, 69.3% students change their tooth brush every 6 monthly and 63.3% of them were brushing only once in a day. 79.3% were rinsing teeth after snack or meal. The percentage of students who were using mouth wash and tongue cleaner was 27.3% and 52% respectively. Bad breath was faced by only 9.33% of students, 39.33% were having cavities and 49.33% were having problem of plaque. 25.3% had never visited dentist. Scaling was performed by only 24.7% students and among them only 1.33% did it 6 monthly. It was observed that students using mouth wash 22.2% had significantly less problem of bad breath as compared to students who were not using 6.7%. Significantly larger numbers of students, with problem of cavities were observed to use mouth wash 60% and floss 68% as compared to those who did had this complaint. Conclusion: The study highlights the fact that preventive behaviour among medical students increased after they experienced some or the other oral health problem for which they were advised to follow these preventive practices so that the severity and extent of the disease does not progress. Further research is required on a larger scale so that the ways to increase the promotive and preventive oral health practices can be identified (e.g. behaviour change communication) to prevent the occurrence of oral health problems.

Hairy tongue is an abnormal lengthening of the filiform papillae of the tongue, clinically the dorsum of the tongue looks hair-coated. The etiology of hairy tongue is idiopathic. Predisposing factors for hairy tongue are poor oral hygiene, antibiotics, excessive smoking, oral candidiasis, alcohol consumption, radiation therapy. Candidiasis is an opportunistic infection of the oral cavity caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans). This fungus can cause a pathogenic condition, and is the most common fungal infection found in the human oral cavity. Predisposing factors for oral candidiasis are the use of dentures, xerostomia, stress, and smoking habits. Objective: To demonstrate the management of a case of hairy tongue with oral candidiasis on the dorsum of the tongue. Case: A 54-year-old male patient came to the Dental Hospital of Jember University for treatment with a complaint of feeling thick and yellowish-brown color on the back of the tongue with clinical features of an extension of the papillae filiformis in the posterior third of the dorsum of the tongue, and a white-yellowish white plaque, could be scraped, but not sick. The patient had complained it since ± 3 years ago. The patient claimed to have never had his tongue scraped off and never treated it. In addition, he smoked a pack of cigarette a day and consumed coffee every morning and evening. Conclusion: The final diagnosis in the patient was hairy tongue with oral candidiasis on the dorsum of the tongue. Therapy provided to the patient i.e. Nystatin oral suspension functions as a topical antifungal medication, Becomzet multivitamin (Vitamin B complex, A, C, E, and Zinc) as a multivitamin and Tongue cleaner as a tongue cleaner. Dental and oral health education was conducted for preventing hairy tongue. Keywords: hairy tongue; oral candidiasis; active smokers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oral health education on adolescents. Methods:The subjects were middle school students in a health promoting school in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province. Before giving th students oral health instruction, their modified Patient Hygiene Performance index (PHP index) was measured using disclosing solution. Then, the students were taught the right way to brush teeth (Rolling method) and use oral hygiene devices such as dental floss, tongue cleaner and interdental brush. Their modified PHP index was re-measured three days after and seven days after the education to evaluate the effect and persistency of oral health education. of the total 116 students, 48 students who completely filled out the questionnaire and participated in the whole process, photo shooting and three times of PHP index measurement, were included in the final analysis. Results: The students’ modified PHP index significantly decreased three days after the education. However, the index slightly went back up seven days after the oral health education. Conclusion: Oral health education was effective in reducing dental plaque which remained after brushing. Continuous education about and constant motivation for oral hygiene turned out to be critical to maintain the impact of oral health education. Therefore, it is necessary to develop educational contents which can constantly motivate teenagers.

Aim: Oral malodor (halitosis) is a widespread condition caused by oral bacteria, particularly sulfur compound-producing species. This study assessed the effect of a triclosan/copolymer-containing dentifrice and a novel toothbrush with attached tongue cleaner on oral malodor and on the bacteria colonizing the dorsal surface of the tongue. Materials and Methods: 14 adult subjects with oral malodor defined as organoleptic scores ≥ 3 (scale 0 - 5) and mouth air sulfur levels ≥ 250 ppb participated in this study. Subjects were examined at baseline and after 28 days use of the triclosan dentifrice and toothbrush/tongue cleaner for: 1) organoleptic assessment; 2) mouth air sulfur levels; 3) tongue coating; and, 4) dorsal tongue surface microorganisms. Total bacterial numbers were assayed by microscopy. Dot-blot hybridization was used to assess a panel of 20 oral bacteria. Results: After 28 days, all subjects had significantly reduced organoleptic scores and mouth air sulfur levels compared to baseline (p 70% reduction in microbial numbers (p Enterococcus faecalis (p Peptostreptococcus micros (p Prevotella melaninogenica (p Porphyromonas gingivalis (p Solobacterium moorei (p

Aim To assess the effect of different stages of intervention on volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) of periodontitis patients with halitosis, before and after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Material & Methods This clinical trial included 18 adults with chronic periodontitis and halitosis. After initial examination, patients received oral hygiene (OH) instructions and tongue cleaner. One week later, non-surgical periodontal therapy was completed within 48 h. Measurements were at baseline, 1 week after OH, 1 and 6 weeks post therapy. These included simplified plaque index (sPlI), probing pocket depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BoP), Winkel Tongue Coating Index (WTCI), organoleptic scores (OLSs) of nose and mouth air and VSCs. Results sPlI, BoP, WTCI, OLS of the mouth air and VSCs showed significant differences (p

Introducion: The quick aging of the Brazilian population brings with it the index increase of chronic and incapacitating diseases in the geriatric public, being necessary the participation of caregivers in the home care. In this context, the caregiver is in charge of performing the oral hygiene activities of the functionally dependent elderly, and must be able to do so, because when improperly performed, it can compromise the local and general health of the assisted with worsening of the systemic condition. Objective: The present study aimed to diagnose the oral hygiene routine of the functionally dependent elderly, executed by caregivers at home. Method: This is a descriptive, exploratory and transversal study, with a quantitative approach. Conducted through half-structured interviews of twenty caregivers of functionally dependent elderly, in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil. The instrument had questions about the oral hygiene, covering the care with the dental prosthesis, the use of instruments and materials, and it also approaches the difficulties that the caregivers face to execute the oral care. The elderly were taking part of an interdisciplinary home care program offered by the health insurance, without dental assistance. Results: About the caregivers profile, 35% had the elementary school, 35% had the high school, 25% had higher level education and 5% were illiterate; 80% didn't receive any information about oral hygiene care of functionally dependent elderly; 55% were relatives and 45% were formal caregivers. About the oral hygiene of the elderly, 55% of the caregivers reported difficulties to execute this care. About the association of resources, the ordinary toothbrush and the toothpaste were the most used ones 35%; 20% used both resources associated with the mouthwash; 20% used mouthwash and other resources as well as lint, cotton, diapers and finger cots. None of the caregivers used the floss nor the tongue cleaner and 60% didn't remove the elderly prosthesis at night. Conclusion: It is concluded that caregivers presented deficit of expertise about the most adequated oral hygiene routine to the functionally dependent elderly. In addition, the care was run from empirical knowledge and guidance of the family. From the above, the insertion of the dental surgeon in the interdisciplinary home care program is recommended, in order to monitor the oral health of the elderly and carry out educational activities to caregivers, aimed at improving the oral hygiene routine of functionally dependent elderly. It is believed that this study will contribute to avoid local and systemic complications, improving the quality of life of the elderly.

Introduction Oral health knowledge is considered to be an essential prerequisite for health-related practices and better oral health. Healthy practices adopted at young age are more sustainable. Aim Present cross-sectional exploratory study was planned to assess oral health knowledge and practices of secondary school students in Chandigarh, India. Materials and methods A cross-sectional survey was under-taken amongst 1027 secondary level school students, in Chandigarh, India. After obtaining informed consent subjects were administered pretested self administered questionnaire addressing demographics, knowledge, attitude and practice behaviour of participants. Frequency analysis was done using descriptive statistics. Results Survey revealed that only 40% subjects brushed twice daily. About 17% reported use of dental floss and 20% used either mouthwash or tongue cleaner as adjuncts. A total of 58% had knowledge that infrequent brushing led to dental caries, staining of teeth, dental plaque and bleeding from gums. Most of them knew sweets (92.7%) and soft drinks (67.8%) affected dental health. Only 12.9% visited dentist regularly after every 6-12 months. Conclusion Efficacy of dental health education can be increased only if health programs are tailored to directly impinge on attitudes of targeted population, especially school children in whom healthy practices can be inculcated easily and be sustained for long times.

Objective: To determine the association of the stress level, fatigue symptoms, and sleep quality with oral health behavior of preclinical pharmacy students. Material and Methods: Observational analytic study surveyed the students of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Hasanuddin University. From the total 205 sample of pharmacy students, 77 students drawn from the 2017 year of study, 68 students from the 2016 year of study, and 60 students from the 2015 year of study. The study consisted of 4 questionnaires, which are Perceived Stress Scale, Fatigue Assessment Scale, Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire and questions that assess oral health behaviors reported per individual. Data were collected and analyzed statistically using Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. The level of significance was set at 5%. Results: The percentage of oral health behaviors in terms of the frequency of tooth brushing, use of dental floss, use of tongue cleaner and use of mouthwash increase as the year of study. In contrast to the percentage of stress level, awakening difficulties symptoms, sleep disturbance symptoms, daytime sleepiness symptoms and fatigue symptoms tended to decrease according to the year of study. Significant associations found among students who are under stress with the frequency of dental floss (p 0.05). Conclusion: There is an association between stress levels with the use of dental floss.

INTRODUCTION: Various cases of self-inflicted foreign body insertion into the urethra have been reported in adult males. The most common motive for such acts has been postulated as autoerotic stimulation, psychiatric illness or intoxication. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old male presented with a partially inserted tongue cleaner in his urethra with one end projecting from the urethral meatus and with a history of bleeding and pain. After a gentle attempt of removal using local anaesthetic gel the patient was scheduled for its surgical removal under anaesthesia. CONCLUSION: Large complex foreign bodies may be not amenable to endoscopic removal and may warrant open surgical procedure. Urethral stricture should be suspected in such patients. A psychiatric visit should be recommended for all adult males with self-inflicted foreign body in the urethra. Language: en

The tongue is said to be the mirror of physical health. The tongue dorsum is most delicate regarding the sense of touch. Pathologic coating of the tongue accounts for paresthesia during chewing, swallowing, speaking, tasting, and also may result in mouth odor. Tongue coating can result from increased formation or decreased natural abrasion, and from xerostomia or dyschylia. In clinical otorhinolaryngology pathologic tongue coating often is idiopathic or present after surgery of the oral cavity or pharynx. Critical analysis of published studies reveals that effectivity and justification to administrate xenobiotics or vitamins in that condition is doubtful. Recently, it has been shown that tongue fur was able to be reduced by an easy-to-handle mechanical tongue cleaner or tongue scraper. Due to its simple use, tongue scrapers could be a welcome supplement for the treatment of tongue fur, mouth odor, and in particular cases, to enhance gustatory sense. Preliminary results of an ongoing prospective trial showed that tongue scrapers can effectively be applied after surgery of the oral cavity or pharynx. After tonsillectomy, tongue fur seemed to be reduced and gustatory sense to be enhanced when tongue scrapers were applied during postoperative care. After confirming these promising results in further investigations, an inexpensive and simple option for the treatment of a large amount of patients in clinical otorhinolaryngology would exist.

Aim This study was conducted to test the null hypothesis that no difference exists in the oral hygiene knowledge and practices of university students in different courses when they have equal opportunity to access health-promotive dental care. Methods and Materials The study was conducted using 120 students each from the medical and engineering colleges at the University of Manipal Academy of Higher Education who had easy access to the dental college within the campus which provides health-promotive dental care to all its patients. A self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of questions on demographic data, oral hygiene knowledge and practices, and dental service utilization patterns was distributed among the students. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS 10 version. Results Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups with respect to the knowledge of fluoridated toothpastes, frequency of toothbrush renewal, use of dental floss, and a tongue cleaner (p Citation Doshi D, Baldava P, Anup N, Sequiera PS. A Comparative Evaluation of Self-Reported Oral Hygiene Practices Among Medical and Engineering University Students with Access to Health-promotive Dental Care. J Contemp Dent Pract 2007 January;(8)1:068-075.

Aim: To evaluate oral health awareness among the general population.Background: According to WHO, the prevalence of periodontitis, dental caries, leukoplakia, OSMF are 86%, 68%, 0.59% and 0.55% respectively in India. Habits in Indian population like smoking and alcohol is also a cause for bad oral health at a prevalence of 15.02% and 8.78% respectively. Dental care can sometimes be a forgotten part of a healthy life style. While its importance is often underestimated, the need for regular dental care cannot be overstated. Oral health has been neglected for long in India. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 people in the age group 15-70 years were selected using random sampling technique. A self-administered structured questionnaire including 13multiple choice questions was given to them. The results were analyzed. Result: In the present study, questionnaire was distributed to 150 patients who were randomly selected in that only 101 participants were interested to take part in it. Only 37.62% of participants brushes twice daily, rest of them brushes only once a day. Cleansing method has been improved,82.17% uses tooth brush and paste to clean their teeth. About 13% of participants where aware about the interdental aids out of which 11% used floss and 2% used interdental brush, 70.39% participants uses tongue cleaner regularly and only 30%uses mouth wash. The results of this study suggest that oral health awareness and practices among the study population are improved when compared with the pervious studies but still there is lack of awareness thus need to be improved. Conclusion: The above-mentioned oral hygiene problems can be prevented by simply providing awareness, which is a more cost- effective alternative than expensive dental procedures. Dental professionals, Dental Marketing Agencies, and media too may join hands with the government to help in the prevention of oral health problems by improving knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices toward oral hygiene among the general population.

Background Mechanical tongue cleaning may be an effective method for decreasing oral levels of volatile sulfur compounds, or VSC, and oral malodor. The authors conducted a study to compare the effectiveness of a specially designed tongue cleaner (One Drop Only Tongue Cleaner, One Drop Only, Berlin), a tongue scraper and a toothbrush in reducing oral VSC levels. Methods In this balanced, crossover study, 30 subjects had four morning appointments each with a waiting period of one week between appointments. At each appointment, a dental professional performed a single standardized tongue cleaning procedure using one of the cleaning tools. The authors monitored the subjects' oral VSC values using a portable sulfide monitor until their baseline VSC values were reached. Results The baseline values showed no significant difference between the three groups. The tongue cleaner and the tongue scraper (42 percent and 40 percent, respectively) reduced oral VSC levels more than the toothbrush (33 percent) did. Reduced VSC values could be detected significantly longer after using the tongue cleaner than after using the tongue scraper or the toothbrush. The authors, however, could not detect a significant VSC reduction for more than 30 minutes in any of the subjects. Conclusions and Clinical Implications The tongue cleaner, a combination brush and scraper, was slightly more effective in reducing oral VSC levels than were the tongue scraper and a regular toothbrush. Because of the limited duration of the effect, however, the clinical efficacy on the reduction of oral malodor remains questionable.

Objective: To determine the tooth brushing, tongue cleaning and snacking behaviour of dental technology and therapist students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of students of Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on demography, frequency, duration and technique of tooth brushing and tongue cleaning as well as information on consumption of snacks. Results: A total of 242 students responded. Dental technology students made up 52.5% of the respondents and dental therapist in training made up 47.5%. Majority (63.2%) of the respondents considered the strength of tooth brush when purchasing a tooth brush and 78.9% use tooth brushes with medium strength. Sevententh (71.9%) of the respondents brush their teeth twice daily and 52.1% brush for 3-5 minutes. About onethird (30.2%) brush their teeth in front of a mirror. Chewing stick was used by 51.7% of respondents in addition to the use of tooth brush. Tongue cleaning was done by 94.2% with only 9.5% using a tongue cleaner. Only 20.2% reported regular snacks consumption. Nine-tenth (90.4%) of respondents were previously involved in educating others, apart from their colleagues, on tooth brushing. Conclusion: This survey revealed that most of the dental therapy and technology students had satisfactory tooth-brushing behaviour. The zeal to educate others about proper tooth brushing revealed in this study suggests that the students may be helpful in oral health promotion. Keywords: toothbrushing; tongue cleaning; snacking behaviour; dental auxiliary students; Nigeria (Published: 12 August 2010) Citation: Libyan J Med 2010, 5: 5208 - DOI: 10.3402/ljm.v5i0.5208

Purpose The effects of an oral hygienic care program (OHCP) have been reported in several diseases. However, no study exists investigating the influence of an OHCP on stroke patients or patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been reported, thus we sought to investigate the potential effect of an OHCP. Materials and Methods Fifty-six consecutive stroke patients who were admitted to the ICU were randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention (29 patients) and control groups (27 patients). The OHCP included tooth brushing with an inter-dental brush and tongue cleaner and cleaning with chlorhexidine was administered to patients by one dentist once per day during admission in the ICU (mean, 2.2 weeks). The plague index, gingival index, clinical attachment loss, and colonization degree of candida albicans were assessed. Results After OHCP, the plaque index, gingival index, and colonization degree of candida albicans in saliva showed a significant decrease in the intervention group compared to those of the control group (p0.05). Conclusion Our OHCP was effective in improving the oral hygienic status and periodontal health of stroke patients during their stay in the ICU. Therefore, we recommend administration of the OHCP for stroke patients during their stay in the ICU.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of tongue cleaner-equipped manual toothbrush on tooth cleanness, tongue cleanness and malodor index. Materials and methods: 504 subjects were included in this study. At 1st visit, basic information such as age, sex, smoking amount and alcohol consumption was recorded. Self assessment by individual subjects was performed regarding satisfaction to old toothbrush and toothbrushing habit. Tooth cleanness, tongue cleanness and malodor index was assessed by professional researcher. Tongue cleaner-equipped manual toothbrush was given to each subject with proper toothbrushing instruction. After 1 month passed, self assessment and researcher assessment regarding the same index were performed and analyzed statistically by chi-square test. Results: At 1st visit subjects seem to ignore tongue cleansing and showed poor tooth cleanness index, tongue cleanness index and malodor index, however the same subjects were motivated to clean their tongue and teeth and presented statistically improved distribution pattern in tooth cleanness index, tongue cleanness index and malodor index after using tongue cleaner-equipped manual toothbrush(p

Studies were searched for in the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register (up to 15 September 2005), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library 2005, issue 3), Medline (from 1966 up to September 2005, and Embase (1974 to September 2005. Only randomised controlled trials (RCT) were included that compared different methods of tongue cleaning to reduce mouth odour in adults who had halitosis. Selected studies were graded independently for quality of randomisation, allocation concealment, blinding of outcomes assessment, and handling of losses and withdrawals. Data were extracted independently by two review authors; clinical heterogeneity precluded pooling of data. Two trials involving a total of 40 participants were included. Neither trial included data for the primary outcomes specified in this review, ie, self expressed (perceived) and organoleptic (human nose) assessments of halitosis using any validated malodour intensity scale. Secondary outcomes, volatile sulphur compound (VSC) levels, were assessed using a portable sulphide monitor in both trials. Based on the independent data from these two trials, there was a statistically significant difference between the effectiveness of either the tongue cleaner or the tongue scraper in reducing VSC levels when compared with the toothbrush. Adverse effects in one trial were nausea (60%) and trauma (10%) with the toothbrush and all participants were receptive to using the tongue scraper. There is weak and unreliable evidence suggesting a small but statistically significant difference in reduction of VSC levels when tongue scrapers or cleaners rather than toothbrushes are used to reduce halitosis in adults. We found no high-level evidence comparing mechanical with other forms of tongue cleaning.

Introduction Backing the oral hygiene of elderly people in need of care is an important task for geriatric nursing personal. Tongue cleaning has been generally recommended to improve the oral hygiene status, to prevent the development of oral malodour, and to improve the sense of taste. In Germany, no official recommendations for oral hygiene procedures in hospitals or nursing homes are available and if tongue cleaning is performed a regular toothbrush or a wooden spatula are mainly used. So far, only limited data have been published regarding the influence of tongue cleaning on taste sensation. Aim Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate, whether a regime of daily tongue cleaning with a specially designed tongue cleaner could improve the eating behaviour of institutionalised elderly patients. Methods The study population consisted of 150 edentulous occupants (mean age 74 ± 4 s.d.) of a nursing home in Goettingen. Each subject served as its own control. During the test phase of 2 weeks each participant received five times daily a tongue cleaning procedure using the One Drop Only tongue cleaner (One Drop Only, Berlin; Germany; a combination of a tongue brush and a tongue scraper). During the control run the tongue cleaning was carried out also five times daily over a 2-week period using a regular toothbrush. All procedures were performed by a carefully instructed geriatric nurse. As a measure for the eating behaviour the amount of spurned and returned drinks and food was determined by weighing. The individual impression of taste was also determined by using a questionnaire. All subjects were able to eat and drink without assistance. Results During the test period the subjects reported an increased appetite and only 18.3% of the served food and 17.1% of the served drinks were spurned and returned. In contrast, during the control phase the subjects returned 52% of the food and 53.2% of the drinks. These differences were statistically significant (P

Objetivos: Determinar la presencia y concentración de los metales plomo, cadmio y cromo migrados desde el limpiador lingual “Alitest” en saliva artificial, y estimar la exposición oral a estas sustancias. Material y métodos: Diseño pre-experimental y analítico, para cuantificar las sustancias que son liberadas desde el limpiador lingual al contacto con saliva artificial. Los metales fueron analizados por AAS. Se estimaron los valores de exposición por ingesta oral que fueron comparados con valores de ingesta diaria tolerable para cada grupo etario. Resultados: Se cuantificó la migración de cadmio y cromo en concentraciones promedio de 0.008mg/L y 0.437 mg/L, respectivamente. La concentración de plomo estuvo por debajo de los niveles detectables utilizando el método. A partir de estos valores se estimó la ingesta oral para cada grupo etario y se comparó con el valor provisional de ingesta mensual tolerable (PTMI) o Dosis de Referencia (RfD). Conclusiones: Las sustancias se cuantificaron en concentraciones normales, que no excedieron los valores máximos recomendados. Objectives: To determine the concentration of heavy metals cadmium and chromium leached from the tongue cleaner “Alitest” into artificial saliva and to assess oral exposure of these substances. Material and methods: Analytical pre-experimental design, to determine the amount of those substances released from the tongue cleaner onto artificial saliva and to quantified them by AAS. Assessment of exposure from oral intake values and comparison with the Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) or Reference Dose (RfD) values. Results: Cadmium and chromium leachated into artificial saliva were quantified in concentrations of 0.008mg/L and 0.437 mg/L, respectively. Lead concentration was under detectable levels using the method. These values were used to estimate the oral intake for each age group and were compared to PTMI or RfD values. Conclusions: The substances were found in normal concentrations, none exceeding the maximum values of PTMI or RfD.