Effectiveness of tongue scraper in reducing halitosis in orthodontic patients: a clinical study

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of tongue-scraping procedures as part of an oral hygiene education program on patients with fixed conventional orthodontic appliances who were affected by oral malodor. Methods: A sample of 40 fixed-orthodontic patients (14 to 18 years old) was recruited in a private dentistry office. Participants were included in an oral-hygiene education program, and then data were collected, based on interviews, tongue coating detection, and halitosis measurement. After 27 days, these parameters were evaluated again. Data normality was evaluated by the Shapiro-Wilk test for the quantitative variables. The difference between before and after the education intervention was tested by the McNemar test, the Kappa statistic for the categorical variables, and the Wilcoxon test for the quantitative variable. Significance was determined at a 5% (α=0.05) confidence level. Results: The oral hygiene program applied to orthodontic patients positively impacted on halitosis self-perception, oral malodor measurement (75%), and tongue coating score (100%). Conclusions: The oral hygiene program, including tongue-scraping procedures, reduced bad odor among orthodontic patients.