Taking care of your mouth is an important aspect of personal hygiene. Everyone knows that brushing and flossing every day is a great way to keep your teeth healthy and strong, but what about your tongue?
Because it is made up of many bumps and ridges, bacteria and food debris can get stuck and buried within the microscopic yet deep valleys in the tongue. If this debris remains within the tongue, it may lead to breeding of bacteria within the rough edges in your tongue and surrounding areas. Brushing your tongue not only eliminates this bacteria, it also helps prevent oral diseases.
How to clean your tongue:
The first step in eliminating bacteria on your tongue and taking the right steps toward fresh-smelling breath is to find a proper tongue-cleaning tool. Tongue scrapers can be found at any local pharmacy or grocery store, and if you have any questions you can always ask your dentist!
Once you have a tongue scraper you’re comfortable with, begin scraping your tongue from the root towards the tip. Do this several times in the morning before eating or drinking.
After a few rotations of scraping, be sure to rinse your tongue in warm water as residue will be built up. Continue scraping your tongue until finished.
It’s also a good rule of thumb to rinse your mouth out with mouthwash after brushing your tongue to ensure that no bacteria or food debris remains in your mouth.
The most important part about brushing your tongue is to stay consistent. Brushing your tongue just one time will help, but it just won’t do the job. If you want to have fresh breath and a healthy mouth at all times, be sure to keep up with your tongue brushing. You’ll be glad you did!
