The importance of cleaning your tongue along with brushing

Your mouth is one of the places most prone to bacteria because it’s dark, warm and wet, creating a perfect environment for bacteria to live and feed off of leftover food particles. In fact, there are billions of bacteria living in your mouth right now on your teeth and tongue. This is why it’s crucial to clean your tongue to reduce the number of bacteria that live in your mouth and achieve optimal oral health. Here are a few reasons highlighting the importance of cleaning your tongue along with brushing. (Image 2)

Having a fresher breath

Bad breath is caused by diet, poor oral hygiene, dry mouth, gum disease and other health conditions, so make sure you’re doing all you can to control it through adequate oral care. After enjoying a meal, especially when you eat smelly foods such as onion and garlic, bad breath is created when bacteria from the food particles left behind on your tongue release foul-smelling volatile sulfur compounds (VSC).

Rather than brushing your tongue with the bristles on your toothbrush, use a tongue cleaner designed for this very task. Cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper, according to the National Institutes of Health, can reduce the number of VSC by 75% compared with a regular toothbrush, which reduces VSC by 45%. After brushing, flossing and rinsing with a mouthwash, reach for a tongue cleaner to do a more thorough job of cleaning your mouth and keeping your breath in check.

Redeeming your sense of taste

If you ever found yourself biting into your favourite snack and being disappointed by the dull taste then you might have diminished taste buds. By not brushing your tongue, a biofilm of bacteria and old food particles can build up and cover your taste buds, making everything taste dull. As the bacteria covers your taste buds, you may find that the flavours of your food are muted. By cleaning your tongue you can expose more of your taste buds and enjoy richer flavours in your food.

Preventing Gingivitis

Bacteria buildup on your tongue can spread to your teeth. Causing a situation known as gingivitis where the gums become red and inflamed. When this situation is not treated, the inflammation could escalate and advance to what is known as periodontal disease. In periodontal disease, the gums begin to pull away from the teeth and the resultant space therein gets infected. The teeth may now begin to fall out and the bigger issue is that when the periodontal disease causes inflammation and that inflammation becomes chronic, it can increase the risk of having a heart attack, stroke and even miscarriage.

Averting Thrush

This may come to you as a shock, but you can develop a yeast infection in your mouth by not brushing your tongue. With too much bacteria build-up, a yeast infection can form, making white patches appear on your tongue. This can be treated with antifungal medications and brushing your tongue regularly.

If you’re not cleaning your tongue on a regular basis, remember, this is a very important part of your oral regime and a very easy addition. As each person is unique with their dental requirements, personalised consultation with the dentist is the ideal way to know what dental treatment options will work best for you. We have over 85+ dental clinics across India, and our prime locations are in Mumbai, India. To learn more about our services or to get in touch with our experts, please visit us at https://www.orthosquare.com/.