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Posted on 2/29/2020 by Metropolitan Dental Specialty Group |
 You are doing your mouth a disservice if you are brushing and flossing twice a day but yet you aren't attacking the bacteria that live on your tongue and it is just as important to clean our tongue as it is our teeth and to floss.Why Should You Be Brushing Your Tongue?Our tongues are literally covered with bacteria. Think about everything that touches your tongue in just one day! Your tongue might not be at risk for developing cavities, but it is just as vulnerable to attracting bacteria, maybe more so. Think about it. The coffee you drink turns your tongue brown, the wine you drink turns it red, the cola you drink turns it black, and the list goes on. That bacteria just grows and grows and accumulates in the areas between the taste buds and the other structures of our tongues. Our tongues are not smooth, it is full of crevices and elevations and it is a wonderful playground and hiding place for bacteria. What is that building up that happens on your tongue? It is not just harmless saliva, so just rinsing won't do. It is called a biofilm or a group of microorganisms, that stick together on the surface of the tongue – and it isn't so simple to get rid of them as drinking water or using mouthwash. When you just rinse it is difficult to kill that biofilm because you only reach the outer cells, the cells beneath the surface are still alive and thriving – and it is that bacteria that leads to bad breath and can even lead to tooth damage. Because of all this, you have to physically remove bacteria by brushing with a toothbrush or cleaning or scraping with a tongue scraper tool that you can buy at any pharmacy or general store. Simply brush back and forth and side to side and rinse your mouth out with water. Take care not to over-brush so you don't break the skin. If you have concerns about how to clean your tongue, please call our office and we will gladly answer any questions or concerns you may have. We look forward to hearing from you. |
