When is the last time you thought about your tongue? Despite the fact that we constantly use it for speaking, tasting food and sealing envelopes, we often forget to clean our tongue when we are brushing our teeth. Your tongue is home to bacteria, and even food particles. Because of that, the tongue can also be the cause of bad breath. You should clean your tongue every time you brush, so you should plan to clean your tongue once in the morning and once at night.
Brushing your tongue doesn’t require much: just a dab of toothpaste on your brush. Gently brush your tongue from the back to the front. You can also use a tongue scraper. A tongue scraper is made of thin plastic. After you brush, gently scrape your tongue from back to front. “Gently” is the keyword here. If your tongue starts to bleed, you are scraping too hard.
When you are done cleaning your tongue, rinse your mouth. Water is fine, but you may also choose to use an antibacterial mouthwash. Just as you rinse your toothbrush after you use it, you will also want to thoroughly rinse your tongue scraper when you are through.
Dry mouth is a common malady that can lead to other oral health problems. If you suffer from dry mouth, you might try cleaning your tongue.
If you have questions about oral hygiene or if it is just time for your regular cleaning and exam, our dentist, Dr. Vera Matshkalyan at Kingston Family Dental would love to see you. If you live in the Kingston, New Hampshire, area, give us a call at 603-347-1327. We can’t wait to see you!