title: New method for determining surface roughness of tongue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The degree of atrophy of the lingual papillae in elderly individuals was evaluated using a quantitative method.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty-two subjects living in nursing homes and 20 healthy adults as controls were studied. To express the degree of atrophy of the lingual papillae quantitatively, lingual surface roughness was determined by taking an impression with silicone dental material. Based on the impressions obtained from the elderly subjects, they were classified by three expert dentists into three groups: Normal, Smooth and Rough. The same determinations were also performed in the 20 healthy controls and compared with 38 of the elderly subjects who had agreement from all of the experts and without the presence of fissures (Normal, n = 6; Smooth, n = 12; Rough, n = 20).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The roughness average value for the controls was 65.0 μm, while that for the elderly subjects in the Normal, Smooth and Rough groups was 73.9 μm, 42.2 μm and 94.1 μm, respectively, which were significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results indicate that the present technique of obtaining an impression of the tongue surface is simple and reliable for routine evaluation and quantification of the degree of atrophy as well as morphology of the lingual papillae.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Care and Rehabilitation, Department of Control of Physical Functions, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uemori
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakinoki
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karaki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kakigawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy; D003760:Dental Impression Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003761:Dental Impression Technique; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016628:Replica Techniques; D012826:Silicone Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000473:pathology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003760:Dental Impression Materials; D012826:Silicone Elastomers