Effectiveness of various tongue cleaning aids in the reduction of tongue coating and bacterial load: A comparative clinical study

Abstract

Aim: To remove tongue biofilm and improve breath odor, specific instruments (tongue scrapers) or toothbrushes are used. Materials and methods: This study compared the effectiveness of a manual toothbrush that has a tongue scraper on the back of its head and two commercially available tongue scrapers in reducing the tongue coating and aerobic and anaerobic microbiota of the tongue dorsum. A randomized, negative controlled, double-blind, parallel design study for three different treatment interventions was conducted. Results: All tongue cleaners showed a significant reduction in Winkle's tongue coating scores with significant values of reduction (p < 0.001) of the anaerobic bacterial count with plastic and metal tongue scraper when compared to brush scrapper. Conclusion: There was an effective reduction of bacterial load on tongue dorsum with the use of tongue cleaners, with maximum load reduction by using plastic tongue cleaners. Clinical significance: The results of the present study may be helpful for the dentists while prescribing tongue cleaners to their patients in their clinical practice.