There is more to good oral hygiene than brushing your teeth regularly. Cleaning the tongue is also important. In fact, regular brushing can be ineffective if you fail to dedicate time to cleaning other parts of the mouth; especially the tongue.
First off, the tongue’s surface is rough, soft, always moist, making it a perfect breeding place for infection-causing bacterias. But apart from this reason, here are some other reasons why you should care for your tongue, just as you care for your teeth.
Here are 5 Reasons why cleaning the tongue is very important:
The Tongue Harbors Millions of Bacteria
As state earlier, the tongue harbors billions of bacteria living and feeding off leftover food residues. So it is important that clean the tongue to ensure overall hygiene. If you brush and floss regularly without taking care of your tongue, the bacteria in your tongue will be transferred to your teeth within a couple of hours since the tongue and saliva is constantly in contact with the teeth. This will automatically render your efforts ineffective.
Cleaning the Tongue Can Help to Prevent the Buildup of Odor-causing Bacteria
Halitosis (bad breath) is caused germs present in the human mouth. Brushing or scraping your tongue on a regular basis can help reduce the accumulation of odor-causing bacteria, hence, minimizing the likelihood of bad breath.
Can Help to Reduce the Risk of Teeth Infections/Gum Diseases
Bleeding gum, periodontitis, and sensitive teeth are common oral conditions caused by excessive buildup of plaque and bacteria. Cleaning your tongue regularly can help to eliminate the buildup of plaque and even reduce the amount of infection-casing bacteria present in the tongue.
Improves the Overall Appearance of Your Mouth
Failure to clean your tongue regularly can lead to oral thrush, the excessive growth of yeast in the mouth. Oral thrush can lead to the formation of white patches on your tongue, leaving your mouth tasting stale and appearing unclean. Although this condition can be reversed by the use of antifungal medication, regular tongue brushing or scraping can help you avoid it.
Improves Immunity and Overall Health
Good oral hygiene is the starting point for overall healthy living. Cleaning the tongue on a regular basis will help you to reduce bacteria buildup in the amount. This can in turn help to minimize the toxins entering other parts of the body through the mouth.
How to Clean Your Tongue
You can either clean your tongue by brushing or scrapping. Brushing is far easier as you do it while brushing your teeth. To brush your tongue, it is advisable to start at the back of your tongue and work your way towards the front of your mouth and rinse thoroughly with clean water. For a more thorough cleaning, you can use a tongue scraper to remove the mucus layer that coats the tongue. But be careful not to scrape too hard to avoid breaking the surface of your tongue because this can cause bleeding.
Conclusion
Cleaning the tongue is a healthy oral practice that shouldn’t be neglected. The good part is, it doesn’t require additional effort as you can do it each time you brush your teeth. This can help improve not only your dental health but overall health and lifestyle.
In addition, a regular visit to a dental clinic or dentist is a practice you should incorporate into your routine if you are yet to.
