Prevalence and Associated Factors of Tongue-Cleaning Practices Among Health and Non-Health Undergraduate Students at Diponegoro University

Surya Nelis; Emilia Sukmawati; Oedijani Santoso

doi:10.14710/actodont.32410

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/actodont.32410

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Tongue-Cleaning Practices Among Health and Non-Health Undergraduate Students at Diponegoro University

Surya Nelis , Emilia Sukmawati, Oedijani Santoso

Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia

Received: 26 May 2026; Revised: 10 Jun 2026; Accepted: 29 Jun 2026; Available online: 3 Jul 2026; Published: 1 Dec 2026.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

BibTex Citation Data :

@article{actodont32410,
    author = {Surya Nelis and Emilia Sukmawati and Oedijani Santoso},
    title = {Prevalence and Associated Factors of Tongue-Cleaning Practices Among Health and Non-Health Undergraduate Students at Diponegoro University},
    journal = {Acta Odontologica Indonesia},
  volume = {0},
    number = {0},
    year = {2026},
    keywords = {tongue cleaning, oral hygiene behavior, oral health, University students, tongue coating},
    abstract = {The tongue is one of the soft tissues in the oral cavity with a large surface area that can serve as a reservoir for pathogenic microorganisms associated with various oral diseases. Despite its important role in maintaining oral health, tongue cleaning is often neglected as part of daily oral hygiene practices. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of tongue-cleaning behavior between health and non-health students and to identify factors associated with this behavior. This analytical observational study employed a cross-sectional design involving 360 students from Diponegoro University, consisting of 180 health students and 180 non-health students, in their 6th–8th semesters who were actively participating in selected academic activities, using a consecutive sampling method. Data were collected using a validated online questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test to assess differences in tongue-cleaning behavior between groups and associated influencing factors. The results showed that the prevalence of tongue-cleaning behavior was significantly higher among health students (72.2%) than among non-health students (52.8%) (p < 0.001). The main factors associated with not performing tongue cleaning were discomfort during tongue cleaning and lack of knowledge regarding the importance of tongue cleaning. Among non-health students, lack of knowledge was identified as the predominant factor, whereas discomfort during tongue cleaning was more frequently reported among health students. In conclusion, health students demonstrated significantly better tongue-cleaning behavior than non-health students. Knowledge and comfort-related factors were found to influence tongue-cleaning practices among university students. Improving awareness regarding the importance of tongue cleaning may help promote better oral hygiene behavior.},
   issn = {3090-7411},   pages = {1--6}  doi = {10.14710/actodont.32410},
    url = {https://ejournal2.undip.ac.id/index.php/actodont/article/view/32410}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

The tongue is one of the soft tissues in the oral cavity with a large surface area that can serve as a reservoir for pathogenic microorganisms associated with various oral diseases. Despite its important role in maintaining oral health, tongue cleaning is often neglected as part of daily oral hygiene practices. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of tongue-cleaning behavior between health and non-health students and to identify factors associated with this behavior. This analytical observational study employed a cross-sectional design involving 360 students from Diponegoro University, consisting of 180 health students and 180 non-health students, in their 6th–8th semesters who were actively participating in selected academic activities, using a consecutive sampling method. Data were collected using a validated online questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test to assess differences in tongue-cleaning behavior between groups and associated influencing factors. The results showed that the prevalence of tongue-cleaning behavior was significantly higher among health students (72.2%) than among non-health students (52.8%) (p < 0.001). The main factors associated with not performing tongue cleaning were discomfort during tongue cleaning and lack of knowledge regarding the importance of tongue cleaning. Among non-health students, lack of knowledge was identified as the predominant factor, whereas discomfort during tongue cleaning was more frequently reported among health students. In conclusion, health students demonstrated significantly better tongue-cleaning behavior than non-health students. Knowledge and comfort-related factors were found to influence tongue-cleaning practices among university students. Improving awareness regarding the importance of tongue cleaning may help promote better oral hygiene behavior.

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Keywords: tongue cleaning, oral hygiene behavior, oral health, University students, tongue coating

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Section: Original Research

Language : EN

In 2026: December Edition (Article in Press)

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