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

There are still only a few therapeutic strategies to improve taste sensation, which is part of oral health and quality of life.

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.

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.

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.

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.