Why it is important that you clean your tongue?

The tongue is an organ of the human body with a very uneven surface, the tiny rises and falls of the rough surface make a perfect place for bacteria to live and grow. In fact, it is this unevenness in comparison to the smooth surface of the teeth that leads to it containing much more bacteria than the teeth. The problem with this situation is that said bacteria can easily be transferred to the teeth causing damage and is one of the primary causes for bad breath as well.

We all know you should brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once, but do you know how you should be cleaning your tongue too? Here is a quick guide as to how you should clean your tongue: Once you’ve thoroughly brushed your teeth you should then turn your attention to tongue cleaning. Brushing your tongue is all about removing the bacteria from both the front and the back of the tongue. The front is relatively self-cleaning but the back is vital. Begin by putting a small amount of toothpaste on the brush, start at the back and move forward remembering to scrub both side to side and up and down. Use a reasonable amount of pressure but stop if it becomes painful. You can also buy tongue scrapers but for most people, the bristles of a toothbrush will suffice.

You should make tongue cleaning part of your usual oral care routine and do it at least twice daily with your morning and evening brushing routines. If it gets to midday and your mouth is dry or you have a foul taste, try brushing your tongue again.