We know that it is important to brush our teeth at least twice daily and floss every day. Many people do not know that brushing the tongue is equally important. The tongue is an organ that carries most of the bacteria, it has taste buds, crevices, and all kinds of tiny structures that can act as bacteria hiding places.
Why should I brush my tongue
Brushing the tongue can prevent tooth decay and periodontal gum disease. No matter how well you brush your teeth, food particles and bacteria build up on the tongue and they later spread to the teeth and to the gums leading to gum disease. Brushing the tongue will prevent potential problems with the oral cavity. Brushing of the tongue improves your breath, the bacteria on the tongue lead to halitosis commonly known as bad breath. These harmful bacteria can be removed by brushing the tongue. This will protect the oral cavity and give you a fresh breath.
When you brush the tongue you avoid the formation of the black hairy tongue, the dark hairs occur when tiny bumps on the tongue called papillae are stained mainly due to consumption of dark-colored foods and drinks such as soda, red wine, and coffee. The dental bacteria is removed by rinsing and gargling of mouthwash, the bacteria on the tongue has to b brushed since it is sticky and clings.
How can you brush your tongue
There is no fancy tool for cleaning the tongue, using a normal toothbrush is enough and by following short side–to–side and back–and–forth strokes. The tongue can be brushed while you are cleaning and brushing the teeth or after teeth brushing. There are specialized tongue scrapers that remove bacteria by scarping the mucous layer of the tongue. Visit us and our dentist will guide you on the best toothbrush and scrapers that cannot damage your tongue.
We know that it is important to brush our teeth at least twice daily and floss every day. Many people do not know that brushing the tongue is equally important. The tongue is an organ that carries most of the bacteria, it has taste buds, crevices, and all kinds of tiny structures that can act as bacteria hiding places.