Tongue brushing is essential in maintaining oral hygiene. The human tongue plays many critical roles. It functions as a digestive organ and facilitates the movement of food when chewing and swallowing. It also assists with taste and speech. While the tongue is vital to good health, few people give it the attention it deserves.
Your tongue is one of the body parts that have the most bacteria. The tongue seems to be a flat and flexible muscular organ, however, it has all sorts of elevations and taste buds which help hide the bacteria. These elevations are homes for the bacteria. The surface of your tongue has bumps within which bacteria may hide as well.
This bacteria accumulation can cause bad breath. Cleaning your tongue also helps eliminate the biofilm that forms over your tongue because of the bacteria.
The biofilm prevents your tongue from fully tasting and enjoying the taste of your meals. Literally, dulling your taste buds. Removing this biofilm can help your taste buds taste food more effectively. This also helps aid in the digestive process.
Rinsing your mouth with water or mouthwash after brushing will not fully clean your tongue either. The bacteria in our mouth are very stubborn. Rinsing with mouthwash will only destroy the outer cells of the biofilm, not those cells which are underneath it.
To remove these bacteria effectively, get a tongue scraper. If you do not have one, you can still get rid of the bacteria by brushing your tongue with a toothbrush. Some toothbrushes have bumps on them at the back which help scrape your tongue.
Always start scraping your tongue as far back as possible. The farther you scrape, the more biofilm you’ll be able to get rid of. Make sure to cover every surface and crevice of your tongue with the tongue scraper or toothbrush.
Good dental care doesn’t just mean brushing your teeth. It is time to start taking care of your tongue as well. Don’t neglect it. It is a very important part of our body.
It is essential to brush your tongue when brushing your teeth so as to reduce the number of bacteria on the tongue. Cleaning your tongue doesn’t take much time, all you have to do is follow these three simple steps:
These are the benefits of brushing your tongue;
Brushing your tongue can remove the buildup that causes bad breath. By eliminating these bacteria you can avoid developing halitosis.
Bacteria on the tongue can contribute to gum disease and other serious illnesses that can spread throughout the body. If gum disease isn’t treated, it can lead to periodontal disease.
By getting rid of the plaque and bacteria on your tongue, you are removing that bad taste that develops because of it. This will let you taste your food so that you can enjoy it better.
Oral thrush is an infection caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the mouth. When bacteria in your mouth builds up and becomes excessive, white patches show up on your tongue. It can be cured by brushing your tongue.
It’s also advisable to ensure that you keep up to date with routine dental check-ups and see a dental hygienist once a year; this is particularly beneficial if you are prone to bad breath or gum disease.