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Related Experiment Videos

Tongue scraping for treating halitosis.

T L Outhouse1, R Al-Alawi, Z Fedorowicz

  • 1United States Navy, Dental Corps, Comprehensive Dentistry, Box 25438, Awali, Bahrain. TLOuthouse@yahoo.com

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|April 21, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Tongue scrapers and cleaners show a small, statistically significant difference in reducing volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) compared to toothbrushes for halitosis. However, evidence is weak, and benefits may not last long.

Area of Science:

  • Oral Health
  • Halitosis Research
  • Clinical Interventions

Background:

  • Halitosis, or bad breath, is a common condition with various causes.
  • Mouthwashes are popular but may only mask odor, unlike mechanical tongue cleaning methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of tongue scraping versus other interventions for halitosis control.
  • To provide reliable evidence on mechanical tongue cleaning efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized controlled trials comparing tongue cleaning methods.
  • Searched multiple databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, and EMBASE.
  • Descriptive summary due to trial heterogeneity; focused on volatile sulfur compound (VSC) levels.

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Main Results:

  • Two trials with 40 participants assessed VSC levels using a portable sulfide monitor.
  • Tongue cleaners/scrapers showed statistically significant reductions in VSCs compared to toothbrushes.
  • Reductions in VSCs were more sustained with tongue cleaners than toothbrushes, though not always long-lasting.

Conclusions:

  • Weak evidence suggests tongue scrapers/cleaners offer a small, statistically significant benefit over toothbrushes for reducing VSCs in halitosis.
  • No high-level evidence was found comparing mechanical tongue cleaning with other non-mechanical methods.