Tongue coating index as a risk factor of decline of taste sensitivity in the elderly population
Fimma Naritasari(1*), Dewi Agustina(2), Fania Chairunisa(3), Lisdrianto Hanindriyo(4), Elastria Widita(5), Iffah Mardhiyah(6)
(1) Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
(2) Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
(3) Department of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
(4) Department of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
(5) Dental Hygiene Program, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
(6) Dental Hygiene Program, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
(*) Corresponding Author
Abstract
The elderly had various oral health issues, one of which is taste sensitivity. Taste sensitivity is highly affected by a person’s health, medication, eating habits, nutritional status, and oral hygiene. As an important organ for the sense of taste, the tongue can be covered in a white coating of debris, bacteria, and dead cells. To clean the tongue coating, one can do tongue brushing procedure, but this practice is not common among the elderly, especially in Indonesia. This cross-sectional study involved 114 older adults (n= 114) in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta- DIY), Indonesia, who were selected using stratified random sampling. The participants first signed the informed consent before undergoing an interview and going through oral clinical examination. This research particularly measured the tongue coating index and taste sensitivity level by way of statistically analyzing both variables to determine the correlation between tongue coating index and taste sensitivity level using three-dropmethod. Data from 114 subjects were presented descriptively using table and graphic. Most of the subjects 90.53% (103 subjects) had a coated tongue with various degree. The correlation statistic between tongue coating index and taste sensitivity level showed the statistically significant correlation (p-value = 0.019) and the coefficient correlation was -0.216, which means that there was a negative and weak correlation between both. Elderly with a higher tongue coating index tended to have less taste sensitivity. This could be due to debris blocking taste buds, thereby reducing taste sensitivity.
Keywords
References
1. Abikusno N. Kelanjutusiaan sehat menuju masyarakat sehat untuk segala usia. In: RI
K, editor. Buletin Jendela Data dan Informasi Kesehatan Semester 12013. 25-28.
2. Jones GW. The 2010 – 2035 Indonesian Population Projection: Understanding the
Causes, Consequences and Policy Options for Population and Development. 2013: 7.
Available at https://indonesia.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Policy_brief_on_
The_2010_%E2%80%93_2035_Indonesian_Population_Projection.pdf
3. Ciarrocca K, Gulati N. Geriatric Oral Medicine. In: Glick M, editor. Burket’s oral medicine, 12th
Edition. USA: People’s Medical Publishing House; 2015. 653-667.
4. Sergi G, Bano G, Pizzato S, Veronese N, Manzato E. Taste loss in the elderly: possible
implications for dietary habits. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017; 57(17): 3684-3689.
doi: 10.1080/10408398.2016.1160208
5. Imoscopi A, Inelmen EM, Sergi G, Miotto F, Manzato E. Taste loss in the elderly:
epidemiology, causes and consequences. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2012; 24(6): 570-579.
doi: 10.3275/8520
6. Fluitman KS, Hesp AC, Kaihatu RF, Nieuwdorp M, Keijser BJF, Ijzerman RG, Visser M. Poor taste and smell are associated with poor appetite, macronutrient intake, and dietary quality but not with undernutrition in older adults. J Nutr. 2021; 151(3): 605-614. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa400
7. Seerangaiyan K, Jüch F, Atefeh F, Winkel EG. Tongue cleaning increases the perceived
intensity of salty taste. J Nutr Health Aging. 2018; 22(7): 802-804. doi: 10.1007/s12603-018-1030-8
8. Jeon S, Kim Y, Min S, Song M, Son S, Lee S. Taste sensitivity of elderly people is
associated with quality of life and inadequate dietary intake. Nutrients. 2021; 13(5): 1693.
doi: 10.3390/nu13051693
9. Barrett K, Barman S, Yuan J, Brooks H. Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology. 26th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2019.
10. Li Y, Cui J, Liu Y, Chen K, Huang L, Liu Y. Oral, tongue-coating microbiota, and metabolic
disorders: a novel area of interactive research. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021; 8: 730203.
doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.730203
11. Shimizu T, Ueda T, Sakurai K. New method for evaluation of tongue-coating status. J Oral
Rehabil. 2007; 34(6): 442-447. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2842.2007.01733.x
12. Mueller C, Kallert S, Renner B, Stiassny K, Temmel AF, Hummel T, Kobal G. Quantitative
assessment of gustatory function in a clinical context using impregnated “taste strips”.
Rhinology. 2003; 41(1): 2-6.
13. Vincis R, Fontanini A. Central taste anatomy and physiology. Handb Clin Neurol. 2019;
164: 187-204. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63855-7.00012-5
14. Timmesfeld N, Kunst M, Fondel F, Güldner C, Steinbach S. Mechanical tongue cleaning is
a worthwhile procedure to improve the taste sensation. J Oral Rehabil. 2021; 48(1): 45-54. doi: 10.1111/joor.13099
15. Solemdal K, Sandvik L, Willumsen T, Mowe M, Hummel T. The impact of oral health on taste ability in acutely hospitalized elderly. PLoS One. 2012; 7(5): e36557. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036557
16. Pavlidis P, Gouveris H, Anogeianaki A, Koutsonikolas D, Anogianakis G, Kekes G. Age-related changes in electrogustometry thresholds, tongue tip vascularization, density, and form of the fungiform papillae in humans. Chem Senses. 2013; 38(1): 35-43.
doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjs076
17. Neumann L, Schauren BC, Adami FS. Taste sensitivity of adults and elderly persons. Rev
BRas GeRiatR GeRontol. 2016; 19(5): 797-808. doi: 10.1590/1809-98232016019.150218
18. Madiloggovit J, Chotechuang N, Trachootham D. Impact of self-tongue brushing on taste
perception in Thai older adults: A pilot study. Geriatr Nurs. 2016; 37(2): 128-136.
doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2015.11.004
19. Matsui M, Chosa N, Shimoyama Y, Minami K, Kimura S, Kishi M. Effects of tongue cleaning
on bacterial flora in tongue coating and dental plaque: a crossover study. BMC Oral Health.
2014; 14: 4. doi: 10.1186/1472-6831-14-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/majkedgiind.54935
Article Metrics
Abstract views : 17758 | views : 1699 | views : 1244Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2021 Majalah Kedokteran Gigi Indonesia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.