Table I.
Associations between bacterial numbers on the tongue surface and clinical factors.
| Bacterial numbers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Factor (n) | Mean ± SD (×105) | P-value |
| Sex | ||
| Male (23) | 1.53±1.84 | 0.66 |
| Female (47) | 1.62±2.17 | |
| Age (years) | ||
| ≥65 (50) | 1.58±1.39 | 0.52 |
| <65 (20) | 1.63±2.01 | |
| Alcohol consumption | ||
| Non-drinker (42) | 1.54±1.93 | 0.06 |
| Social drinker (15) | 1.00±1.13 | |
| Every day (13) | 2.45±2.39 | |
| Smoking status | ||
| Non-smoker (62) | 1.66±2.10 | 0.93 |
| Smoker (8) | 1.06±0.85 | |
| Stroke | ||
| No (66) | 1.54±1.91 | 0.14 |
| Yes (4) | 2.54±2.14 | |
| Heart disease | ||
| No (64) | 1.61±1.95 | 0.69 |
| Yes (6) | 1.54±1.65 | |
| Hypertension | ||
| No (50) | 1.53±1.85 | 0.39 |
| Yes (20) | 1.74±2.13 | |
| Diabetes | ||
| No (59) | 1.70±2.03 | 0.51 |
| Yes (11) | 1.00±0.99 | |
| Hyperlipidemia | ||
| No (60) | 1.65±1.99 | 0.77 |
| Yes (10) | 1.27±1.44 | |
| Remaining teeth | ||
| 0–9 (3) | 2.23±2.46 | 0.73 |
| 10–19 (13) | 1.31±1.39 | |
| ≥20 (54) | 1.63±2.02 | |
| Denture use | ||
| Non-user (54) | 0.88±1.72 | 0.12 |
| User (16) | 1.70±1.70 | |
| Oral wetness | ||
| Low (47) | 1.74±2.16 | 0.11 |
| High (23) | 1.30±1.29 | |
| Tongue coating | ||
| Negative (66) | 1.57±1.92 | 0.53 |
| Positive (4) | 1.92±2.12 | |
| Probing depth | ||
| <4 mm (23) | 1.55±1.83 | 0.93 |
| ≥4 mm (47) | 1.61±1.98 | |
| Bleeding on probing | ||
| No (38) | 1.72±2.07 | 0.98 |
| Yes (32) | 1.44±1.74 | |
SD, standard deviation.