When you think of brushing your teeth, that's exactly what you think, just brushing your teeth. Too many people miss out on the fact that it's actually very important to include your tongue in that process. Here are three reasons why.

  1. You Want Better Breath: Bacteria is not just harbored around the teeth, but also on top of the tongue. This is why scraping or brushing your tongue is just one way you can further remove any bad breath you might have. Plus, it washes away more bacteria in the mouth that could cause problems later. If you find you are still suffering from bad breath, however, you might want to discuss this with your dentist. You could suffer from possible gum disease or halitosis that you will want treated. 
  2. You Develop Better Taste: The bacteria that is harbored on the top of your tongue can actually be a huge factor in how you are tasting things. Many people don't realize this and so they develop a bad taste for certain foods or drinks that they otherwise would've liked. Getting rid of the bacteria also enhances the tastes buds so that foods don't taste as bland, which means you are suddenly going to start enjoying rich foods more than you ever did before. 
  3. You Want Better Dental Health: Not ignoring your tongue just leads to better dental health overall. You are getting rid of bacteria that could otherwise move to the teeth and cause cavities and possible gum disease. Most likely, with regular brushing of the tongue, you are going to have better dental visits every time. On top of this, keeping your tongue free from bacteria can even help generate more saliva in the mouth, which is important because saliva is the most common way to flush down harmful bacteria in the mouth. 

These are just three reasons to start brushing your tongue. You can even buy a specialized tongue scraper that is more effective at cleaning the tongue than brushing it because it removes the top layer of bacteria in one clean sweep. So, stop neglecting your tongue and start giving it some cleaning love that you probably never showed it before. If you are still noticing any kind of problems, such as tooth pain, bad breath, and more, be sure to talk with a local dentist, such as those at Airport Road Dental Associates, for proper treatment so that your tongue brushing can be as effective to your oral health as possible. 

Share