In your efforts to keep your mouth healthy, you are probably paying close attention to your teeth and gums. Have you thought about your tongue’s role in your oral health? Your tongue is body’s strongest muscle and it helps you to speak clearly and to eat properly. Your tongue can also be home to many of the germs that can cause tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, and other oral health issues. To help maximize your dental hygiene routine, cleaning your may be a good added step.
Germs On My Tongue?
At any given moment in time, there are about 10-15 billion bacteria in your mouth. It is important to note that some of the bacteria living in your mouth is good bacteria that helps protect you against the bad. The most destructive oral health issues, including advanced tooth decay and severe gum disease, begin a buildup of bad bacteria. Bad bacteria bands together to form a sticky extracellular substance, known as plaque. Plaque helps the bacteria to adhere to the surfaces of your teeth. Brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day helps control the bacterial population on your teeth and gums, but half of those billions of oral bacteria reside on your tongue.
How Do I Clean It?
Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush can help keep your tongue clean, but your toothbrush was designed to clean the solid, sturdy surfaces of your teeth. Your tongue is not solid; a toothbrush can clean so much from the spongy surface of your tongue. A tongue scraper is designed specifically for clearing your tongue’s surface of saliva, food debris, and oral bacteria. One of the most immediate benefits you may notice after cleaning your tongue is fresher breath. Bacterial buildup is usually responsible for foul-smelling breath. So, cleaning your tongue helps defend against harmful bacteria while also freshening your breath.
Cleaning your tongue is one way to keep your smile healthy.
Talk to Dr. cabal about cleaning your tongue and other healthy smile tips. To schedule a consultation, call our Ft. Worth, TX, office today at (817) 236-7846. Our office is proud to serve the needs of patients in White Settlement, North Fort Worth, Springtown, Rome, Haslet, Azle, Saginaw, and surrounding Texas communities.
