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The Importance of a Clean Tongue

People tend to rush through brushing their teeth and neglect one of the most important parts of the mouth, the tongue! Good oral health means taking care of your whole mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue included. Neglecting your tongue can cause problems to arise that you might not otherwise face.

Bad breath, or halitosis, is probably the most well-known side effect of poor oral hygiene. The tongue, in particular the back of the tongue, tends to collect bacteria and germs. The front of the tongue is better at naturally cleaning itself because it moves more. More than half of all oral halitosis is due to residues on the tongue that can be brushed away.

While unhealthy, a dirty tongue can also impede your sense of taste and even contribute to weight gain. The tongue houses your taste buds, so when it is coated with residue, the taste cells are prevented from tasting. A decreased sense of taste can be linked to an increased intake of sugar and fat.

How should you care for your tongue?

There are many specialty products that can help make the job a little easier. Relatively new on the market are tongue scrapers. There are many different designs of tongue scrapers. There are plastic scrapers built into flossers, or flexible plastic strips designed to be pulled across the tongue. There are also tongue brushes, specially designed for cleaning the tongue. Of course, you can always use a soft toothbrush.

Ideally, you should clean your tongue as often as your teeth, but at least once per day. The scraping or brushing should be done before brushing your teeth. Remember to be gentle—you can actually damage the taste buds or tongue by scraping too aggressively. Many people are deterred from brushing their tongue because of a gag reflex. Start near the back of the tongue and scrape forward, which should prevent the gag reflex from kicking in because it won’t feel like you’re going to unintentionally swallow or choke on something. Brushing your tongue more often will also start to desensitize your gag reflex, so be persistent.

What kind of toothbrush is right for you?

Often, patients have a difficult time deciding whether to buy a manual toothbrush or invest in an electric toothbrush. In recent years, electric toothbrushes have become more popular. The points below may help you make a decision about which type of brush is right for you and your family.

1. Electric toothbrushes move at 3,000 – 7,500 motions each minute and are designed to imitate the way your hand moves, saving you the effort.
2. Sonic toothbrushes move at an impressive 30,000 – 40,000 strokes per minute. This fast back and forth is more of a vibrating motion than an imitation of manual brushing.
3. If you brush manually, you’ll hit about 300 strokes per minute.
4. For people with arthritis or other conditions or disabilities that inhibit the movement required for brushing, the motion of an electric toothbrush can help clean teeth properly even with little hand and arm movement from the user.
5. Some studies indicate that electric toothbrushes, especially those that utilize rotational-oscillation action, result in less plaque and fewer instances of gingivitis than manual brushing.
6. The same study found that when used properly, manual and powered brushes can be equally effective.
7. However, it is thought that people are more likely to use an electric toothbrush in the correct form than to use a manual toothbrush in the correct form.
8. Electric toothbrushes can be priced at fifteen dollars up to over one hundred dollars.
9. With both electric and manual brushes, you should be brushing twice a day for two minutes each time; ideally every morning and before bed to avoid residue staying on teeth and gums for long periods.
10. Because electric toothbrushes vibrate at a much high frequency, people with sensitive teeth need to be particularly careful about which brush they buy. Just like manual brushes, electric toothbrushes also have models with soft bristles, which are better for those with sensitive teeth.
11. Electric toothbrushes do not supplant the benefits of floss.
12. Brushing too hard with a manual toothbrush can cause gum recession, where an electric toothbrush is less likely to do so.

Finding the right toothbrush for you may be a hard thing to do, but remember that the important thing is to make sure you have the tools that allow you, and encourage you, to brush properly–twice a day, for two minutes each time. Consult your dentist if you are unsure what it best for you.