How to Clean Your Tongue, and Why It’s Important

learn how to clean your tongue

June 26, 2017

Dr. Paltsev

Dr. Paltsev has been practicing at the The Little Green Building since 1998. His areas of interest are restorative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, dentistry for children, implant and cosmetic dentistry. In simple terms, he likes all aspects of the art and science of the modern dentistry.

Many of us will often find that no matter how vigorously we brush our teeth, our mouths still don’t feel completely fresh.  The issue is not in subpar tooth cleaning, but in missing components of our oral hygiene routines.  Few people realize the important role that your tongue plays in oral hygiene, and how important it is to take care of it.  Cleaning your tongue is essential to fostering a fresh, healthy environment in our mouth.

The tongue is a vital part of our bodies for consuming food and drink.  It is formed of numerous, tiny muscles that allow it to bend and contract in different ways.  Using these muscles, the tongue is able to safely push food to the esophagus for consumption, and assist in the mechanical breakup of what we consume.

Since the tongue plays a pivotal role in consumption, it’s unsurprising that, like your teeth, it can harbor a vast array of bacteria, both good and bad.  The tongue’s surface is covered by a plethora of tiny bumps called papillae.  In between the papillae are grooves that can trap food particles, dead skin, and any bacteria associated with these products.  Thin coatings of mucus, sourced from the fleshy part of the mouth, will often trap bacteria in the grooves between the papillae.

The result of this bacterial trapping on the tongue can often cause problems in a two-fold manner.  For one, the bacteria trapped between the papillae are a major source of bad breath, medically known as halitosis.  At its worst, it can even cause an unpleasant, white discolouration of the tongue.  In addition to this, the bacteria from the tongue can be redeposited onto the teeth, thereby reducing the efficacy of your tooth brushing efforts.

toothbrush on a table with flossTo deal with the build up of bacteria on the tongue, there are two effective methods.  The most common method is to just use your regular toothbrush.  You can gently brush the surface of your tongue back and forth, similar to how you brush your teeth, in order to dislodge any food particles and bacteria.  Be sure to do this before spitting, as the moisture prevents any damage to your tongue tissue.  It is also best to do the rest of the surface in your mouth at the same time for a more thorough, all around cleaning.  Be careful not to scrub too vigorously, as you risk damaging your tongue or engaging your gag reflex.

Should you wish for a deeper, secondary cleaning, you may also employ a tongue scraper into your routine.  A tongue scraper is a plastic bristled device that is scraped from the back of your tongue towards the tip.  Rinse after each scraping and repeat, and be sure to do this before brushing and flossing.

In general, any tongue cleaning should be done daily along with your regular oral health routine.  It is safe to clean your tongue as frequently as you do your teeth, so long as you do not scrape too hard in the process.  If you’ve been struggling with halitosis, despite your best tooth brushing efforts, tongue cleaning is likely the answer to your problems!

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