Why You Should Be Brushing Your Tongue
While you should brush your teeth at least twice each day, a step that’s often overlooked is to brush or scrape the tongue clean.
There are millions of bacteria inside the mouth, much of it unhealthy. Add to this the tongue, with its uneven texture, cracks and crevices, and its warm, moist state, it’s a perfect hiding place for bacteria of all sorts. Brushing or scraping the tongue clean will help to free up this bacteria from the surface of the tongue, keeping your mouth healthier.
4 reasons to clean your tongue
Healthier gums + teeth: With fewer bacteria inside the mouth, there’s less risk of it affecting the gums or teeth. This helps to prevent cavities and gum diseases like gingivitis.
Better breath: The biggest cause of malodorous breath is bacteria-build up inside the mouth. By cleaning the tongue, you’re removing more of that foul-smelling bacteria.
Feels cleaner: The physical act of brushing your tongue not only feels great, but it will also give you a satisfying feeling of an overall cleaner mouth.
Improved taste: The tongue can get coated with bacteria and mute the taste of foods. By scraping the tongue clean, it’s possible to improve the flavours of different foods.
Why rinsing is not enough
Because that bacteria creates a biofilm (a grouping of microorganisms) over the tongue, it can be difficult to remove it with a simple swish-swish of water or mouthwash. Rinsing your mouth can destroy the outer layer of biofilm, however the cells beneath the surface still survive. This makes physically scraping the tongue the most effective way to rid the area of bacteria.
How to clean your tongue
Simply an extra few steps in your tooth-brushing regimen, once you’ve finished cleaning your teeth, take that toothbrush, or a specially-designed tongue scraper, then:
Brush your tongue back and forth
Brush your tongue from side to side
Rinse your mouth with water
Gargle with mouthwash
Be mindful not to brush your tongue too hard or you’ll risk breaking the skin. This could potentially cause more bacteria accumulation and more oral health issues down the road.
Brushing your tongue can be fun!
Just like brushing your teeth every day, cleaning your tongue is an easy extra step that will help maintain peak oral health for you — and for the whole family. And just like every habit, it will get easier to remember the more you do it!