Assessment of newly developed tongue sulfide probe for detecting oral malodor.
OBJECTIVE
The present study examined the relationship between sulfide levels on tongue dorsum surfaces (pS levels) and oral malodor.


METHODS
The pS levels of 20 systemically healthy volunteers were evaluated using an industrial device equipped with a newly-developed tongue sulfide probe. The pS levels on 3 parts of the tongue--anterior, middle and posterior along the median groove of the tongue dorsum--were determined for each subject.


RESULTS
The device reported the pS level in a digital score ranging from 0.0 (< 10(-7) M of sulfide) to 5.0 (> or = 10(-2) M of sulfide) in increments of 0.5. Oral malodor was assessed by measuring the level of volatile sulfur compounds in mouth air, as well as by the organoleptic method. The pS levels were 0.03 +/- 0.11, 0.20 +/- 0.41 and 0.88 +/- 0.76 for the anterior, middle and posterior parts, respectively. This difference was significant (p<0.001). Both oral malodor measurements showed significant correlation (p<0.05) with the pS levels of middle and posterior parts of tongue.


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that the tongue sulfide probe might be useful in management of subjects with oral malodor.
Morita
M
M
Department of Preventive Dentistry, Okayama University Dental School, Japan.
Musinski
D L
DL
Wang
H L
HL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006209:Halitosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013440:Sulfides / Q000032:analysis*; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D014059:Tongue / Q000378:metabolism*
D013440:Sulfides; D013457:Sulfur Compounds