When it comes to maintaining good oral hygiene, there’s more to it than just brushing your teeth. One of the most important parts of oral hygiene and health is cleaning your tongue. This may not be something you’ve heard a lot about, so we’ve written a blog to give you a little more information about the importance of tongue cleaning and the techniques you can use. Read on to find out what Dr. Scott says about tongue cleaning!
Why Is It Important to Clean Your Tongue?
Your tongue gathers a lot of bacteria! Food particles and bacteria get trapped on your tongue under a thing layer of mucus. This causes all sort of issues, one of which is bad breath, also referred to as halitosis. You don’t want that bacteria and food staying trapped on your tongue, so making sure that you use one of the techniques below to clean your tongue.
Use Your Toothbrush
An easy way to clean your tongue is simply using your toothbrush. You can use the bristles or buy a toothbrush that has a tongue cleaner built onto the back of the brush head. Once you’re done brushing your teeth, use the toothbrush to scrub your tongue, starting at the back and moving to the front. Make sure that you brush the entire surface of your tongue.
Use A Tongue Scraper
A more thorough method of cleaning your tongue is using a tongue scraper. This is a plastic utensil that’s soft and flexible so as not to damage your tongue. Scrape your tongue off gently and wash the scraper off in between scrapes to get rid of the accumulated mucus, bacteria, and food particles. Don’t scrape to hard or you may hurt your tongue.
How Often Should You Clean Your Tongue?
Dr. Scott would suggest that the best practice is to just go ahead and clean your tongue whenever you brush your teeth. Make it a habit. You should be scraping your tongue twice a day.
Visit Dr. Scott!
If you’re looking for a pediatric dentist who can help teach you and your child about how to care for their oral hygiene then come and visit Dr. Scott. Dr. Scott will make sure that your child feels comfortable while learning about how to take care of their teeth. At your visit, feel free to come with any questions you might have and Dr. Scott will be more than happy to answer them. Contact us today to set up an appointment with Dr. Scott!
