How much care and attention do you pay to your tongue?
We all know how vital cleaning your teeth is; however, many people understate the importance of brushing your tongue. Are you supposed to brush your tongue? The answer is yes!
You’ll be shocked at the number of benefits of brushing tongue bacteria away, how much better you’ll feel for it, and how little time it takes to do it right!
How to Clean Your Tongue:
Understanding how to clean your tongue is a beneficial skill that will improve your oral health.
Here are three of the best ways to clean your tongue:
Tongue Scraper
Studies have shown that tongue scrapers are the most effective way for how to remove plaque from tongue and mouth. Not only that, but tongue scrapers are often flatter and less intrusive than a toothbrush.
Tongue scrapers are typically made out of metal or plastic, and all you need to do is move the scraper from the back of the tongue forward to the surface. Make sure you scrape the entire surface area of your tongue, not just one place.
Repeat this step 2-5 times as needed and then clean the scraper under running water in preparation for your next use.
Toothbrush
The toothbrush is always a suitable method in how to clean your tongue. If you don’t have the time to go looking for a tongue scraper, this should do the job.
Considering our tongue and teeth touch all the time and share a ton of bacteria, you don’t need a separate toothbrush to clean them. You can clean your tongue before or after brushing your teeth.
You should always rinse out your mouth with water after this type of cleaning, as well as the tool of choice itself.
Mouthwash
It is recommended that you combine the use of mouthwash with either your tongue scraper or toothbrush. Solely using mouthwash will not be effective enough in ensuring strong oral health. If you only use mouthwash, you may find your dentist soon telling you how to clean your tongue properly.
How to Clean My Tongue Properly?
- Regardless of chosen method, make sure that your tongue is completely clear of plaque or bacteria and that your mouth feels clean before you leave the bathroom.
- It is highly recommended to brush your teeth and tongue twice a day. Brushing in the morning after waking up and before you go to sleep at night is the most common practice.
What Else Can I Do?
In addition to cleaning your tongue, other good oral health habits include:
- Flossing your teeth daily
- Maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet
- Brush your teeth twice a day using toothpaste that contains fluoride
- Don’t forget to see your dentist! They can give you professional cleanings and keep you updated on your progress. We recommend that you visit at least twice a year to ensure your oral health remains optimal.
Benefits of Brushing Tongue Bacteria:
Getting Rid of Bad Breath
The tongue can become covered in layers of bacteria because of poor oral hygiene, smoking, dry mouth, or certain medication types. A build-up of bacteria will start to exude unpleasant odours.
Cleaning your tongue will not only benefit yourself, but also everyone else around you!
Makes Your Food Taste Better
Brushing your tongue frees up your tastebuds, encouraging a healthy amount of saliva production, aiding digestion and improving the overall flavour of your food.
Becoming comfortable with the right oral habits will ensure that dinner always tastes amazing.
Helps Prevent Cavities
Brushing off the bacteria from your tongue will reduce plaque formation within your mouth that could cause unfortunate side effects such as tooth decay, gum disease and cavities.
Bonus tip: Drink enough water to stop your mouth from becoming dry! This will help you keep your bad breath away.
Boost Your Immune System
The tongue is the first point of call for anything that enters your mouth. As such, it plays a crucial role in your overall immune system – when bacteria accumulates and lives on the tongue, it can become absorb and fester its way into other parts of the body. Brushing your tongue regularly will boost your immune system by removing bacteria before it gets the chance to spread.
If you are sick, brushing your tongue is even more critical since sneezing and coughing can build up extra specks of bacteria in your mouth that will be sure to affect your already damaged immune system negatively.
Reduces Plaque
Studies have shown that regular tongue cleaning reduced overall plaque levels.
Helps Your Mouth to Feel Fresher
Who doesn’t enjoy feeling clean? Cleaning your tongue will undoubtedly contribute to a fresher feeling mouth that you and everyone else around you will enjoy!
Your Oral Health
There you have it! Your guide on how to clean the white stuff off your tongue. We hope you’ve now got a much clearer understanding of how to properly clean your tongue and mouth.
We care about your oral health, and we hope you do too! To make sure you’re in the best condition possible, call us on (07) 4725 3324 for a check-up and get a clean today with Casey Dental. As Townsville’s number one dentistry, we provide a range of services to improve overall oral health and aesthetic.