• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.327-341
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• 1998

Aims : The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are any changes in taste sensitivity with advancing age and to see if smoking or oral hygiene can affect the taste sensitivity. Method : Nine hundred and thirty four subjects(458 male and 476 females) were included for the study and they were categorized into 4 age groups( under 20, 20 to 39, 40 to 59, and over 60 age group ). The electrical taste thresholds were measured using an electrogustometer for the 4 different sites in the oral cavity, I.e., tongue tip, tougue alteral, circumvallate papilla, and soft palate. Results : The elctrical taste thresholds were significantly incresed with advancing age in both gender, but the pattern of change is moere abrupt in female after 40. There were not significant differences in electrical taste threshold between smoking and non-smoking people. Taste thresholds were significantly lower in the groups with higher frequency of daily toothbrushing than the groups with lower frequency Conclusion : The electrical taste threshold is increased with aging. It is not influenced by smoking but by toothbrushing.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were any changes in taste sensitivity with oral lichen planus (OLP). Sixty subjects (26 males and 34 females) were included for the study and they were categorized into 2 groups (oral lichen planus 30 persons,control 30 persons), oral lichen planus group was investigated in the department of Oral Medicine, College of Dentistry, Pusan National University from April, 2005 to February, 2006 and control group was investigated in the clinic at Cheongju City from february, 2006 to april, 2006. The electrical taste thresholds were measured using an electrogustometer of the 4 different sites (tongue tip, tongue lateral, circumvallate papilla and soft palate) in oral cavity. The results were as follows; 1. The electrical taste threshold showed a tendency to decrease in the OLP group. 2. The electrical taste threshold showed a tendency to decrease in female group, but showed a tendency to increase in male group of the OLP group. 3. The electrical taste threshold showed a tendency to increase in tongue tip, tongue lateral of the multiple OLP group, but showed a tendency to decrease in circumvallate papilla, soft palate of the multiple OLP group. 4. The electrical taste threshold showed a tendency to increase in tongue tip, tongue lateral of the acute OLP group, but showed a tendency to decrease in circumvallate papilla, soft palate of the acute OLP group. 5. After treatment, electrical taste threshold was significant lower in soft palate of the OLP group than control group. 6. After treatment, NAS was significantly lower in soft palate of the OLP group than control group.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.133-145
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the taste sensitivity in patients with oral mucosal diseases(Oral lichen planus(OLP), Recurrent apthous ulcer(RAU)) using electrogustometer. One hundred and seventy three subjects were included for the study and they were categorized into 2 groups(control 100, patient 73) and patient group was investigated in the Department of Oral Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital from April, 2005 until January, 2007. Control group was investigated in the clinics at Inchen Metroplitan city and Cheongju city from February to August, 2006. The electrical taste thresholds were measured by using an electrogustometer for the 4 different sites(tongue tip, tongue lateral, circumvallate papilla and soft palate) in oral cavity. The results were as follows ; 1. The electrical taste threshold in patient group was significantly decreased than that in the control group(p<0.001). 2. The electrical taste threshold, in terms of the chronicity and lesion multiplicity, was not significantly changed in patient group. 3. The electrical taste threshold was not significantly changed in Dexan only and Dexan+Prs combination treated group. 4. The electrical taste threshold, in terms of treatment progress(no response vs half response vs complete response), was not significantly changed. However subjective index which was determined by NAS(Numerical Analogy Scale) was significantly increased in no response group but significantly decreased in complete response group(p<0.001)

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.176-180
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• 1986

A study was carried out to investigate the threshold values of four taste qualities by using electrogustometer for Korean female college students. The mean values of taste threshold before the treatments were for $7.5{\mu}A$, sweet taste area, $19.6{\mu}A$, salty taste area, $23.5{\mu}A$, sour taste area, $18.4{\mu}A$, bitter taste area and $50.7{\mu}A$, middle area, respectively. The thresholds of taste for the each area of tongue of the after-treatments were more sensitive than those of the before-treatments except the after-treatment with sodium chloride in which the sensitivity was much reduced. There were no significant differences between the thresholds of left and right side of the tongue. (p＜0.05). Taste qualities of electrical stimuli were also evaluated by using electrogustometer. The major tastes (Approx. 90%) of the feelings for the electrical stimuli were metallic, sour, bitter and salty.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were any changes in taste function with buring mouth syndrome(BMS). 133 subjects (31 males and 99 females) were included for the study and they were categorized into 2 groups BMS 33 persons, control 100 persons) and investigated in the Dept. of Oral Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital from April,2005 to February,2006. The electrical taste thresholds were measured using an electrogustometer of 4 different sites in oral cavity (tongue tip, tongue lateral, circumvallate papillar and soft palate). The results were as follows : 1. The electrical taste threshold in BMS group was very significantly low. 2. The electrical taste thresholds in male and female of BMS group were significantly lower each other than those of control group 3. The electrical taste threshold of BMS group according to single/multiple lesions and chronicity were not different. 4. After treatment, electrical taste threshold and NAS decreased more significantly.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were any changes in taste sensitivity with recurrent aphthous ulceration. Nintyseven subjects(25 males and 72 females) were included for the study and they were categorized into 2 groups(recurrent aphthous ulceration 27 persons, control 70 persons), recurrent aphthous ulceration group was investigated in the department of Oral Medicine, College of Dentistry, Pusan National University from April, 2005 to August, 2006 and control group was investigated in the clinic at Incheon city from June, 2006 to August, 2006. The electrical taste thresholds were measured using an electrogustometer of the 4 different sites(tongue tip, tongue lateral, circumvallate papilla and soft palate) in oral cavity. The results were as follows ; 1. The electrical taste threshold showed significant lower in the RAU group. 2. The electrical taste threshold showed significant lower in female group, and showed significant lower except soft palate in male group of the RAU group. 3. The electrical taste threshold showed a tendency to increase in all site of the multiple RAU group, but there were no significant differences. 4. The electrical taste threshold showed a tendency to increase in tongue lateral of the acute RAU group, and showed a tendency to increase in tongue tip, circumvallate papilla, soft palate of the chronic RAU group. 5. After treatment, electrical taste threshold was significant increase than initial visit in the RAU group. 6. After treatment, NAS showed a tendency to decrease in the RAU group.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.183-192
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• 2010

The aim of this study is to determine a relationship between the smoking and the gustation. For that purpose, the survey is about the subjective taste change after smoking compared the electrical taste thresholds by EGM on healthy young Korean men before and after smoking. The results of the electrogustometry showed significant differences between smokers and non-smokers, also between before smoking and directly after smoking in smokers showed significant differences which indicated the immediate, but temporary effects of smoking on the taste thresholds. There were no difference of gustatory function by the amount of smoking and the degree of addiction. Based on the results of this study, further studies will be focused on the difference of gustatory function between before and after smoking using the chemical taste test, and the relationship between change of olfactory and gustation by smoking.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 2007

Iatrogenic injury following dental treatments and the use of local anesthetics may cause taste disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate quantitative and qualitative changes of taste due to unilateral inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia and further to evaluate potential effects on taste function related to anesthesia or hypoesthesia of inferior alveolar nerve, possibly occurring after dental procedure. 30 healthy volunteers in their twenties participated in this study (male to female = 1:1, mean age of $24.0{\pm}1.8$ years). Each subject received inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia on his or her right side with 2% lidocaine HCl containing 1:100,000 epinephrine. Before and after anesthesia, electrogustometric test and chemical localized test for salty, sweet, sour and bitter tastes were performed on the eight sites in the oral cavity; right and left anterior and lateral tongue and circumvallate papilla of the tongue and soft palate. Unilateral inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia produced elevation of electrical taste threshold and reduction of intensity ratings for all 4 tastes (salty, sweet, sour and bitter) over anterior and lateral tongue and circumvallate papilla on the ipsilateral side (p<0.05). Contralateral sides exhibited decreased intensity ratings for salty and sweet taste (p<0.05) on anterior and lateral tongue while there was no significant difference in electrogustometric testing. Based on the results of this study, it is assumed that unilateral local anesthesia on inferior alveolar nerve can affect chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerves on the same side, leading to taste deficits. Taste intensity on the contralateral side may, in part, be deteriorated as well.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.225-234
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• 2011

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor of systemic health and also impairs oral health, which is related to development of oral cancers, periodontitis, delayed wound healing, tooth loss, failure of implant, etc. Aside from smoking, many other risk factors can be related to oral health and long-term effects of smoking on salivary flow and taste threshold are still in controversy. Authors considered dental students to be an appropriate group with good oral hygiene for a long-term study to reveal effects of smoking on oral health. This study was performed to compare smoking patterns and current oral health conditions between smokers and nonsmokers in dental students prior to long-term evaluation. 192 volunteers (85.7%) of 224 male dental students in Dankook University were evaluated through questionnaires and clinical examination in 2010. Questionnaires included smoking pattern, alcohol use, nicotine dependence, preventive care, psychological profile and clinical examinations comprised assessment of teeth or periodontal status, nicotine pigmentation, salivary flow, electrical taste thresholds and halitosis. From the study, (current) smokers were older, and drank more frequently with more alcohol intake compared to former smokers and nonsmokers(p<0.05). There was no significant difference among them in salivary flow rate, halitosis and electrical taste threshold. However, there was significant difference in DMFT rate, periodontal treatment need, nicotinic pigmentation between smokers and nonsmokers(p<0.05), irrespective of their levels of preventive care. The smokers in this study, who are young dental students with relatively shorter duration of smoking, less use of cigarettes and low level of nicotine dependence, did not reveal significant impairment of oral health. However, their oral health was found to be relatively impaired compared to nonsmokers', which suggests negative effect of smoking on the oral health and a need of smoking cessation.