Most people do not pay attention to their tongues after brushing and flossing their teeth. However, the tongue is also important to your oral health and must be cleaned. If you have white, yellow, or even brown and greenish deposits on the surface of your tongue, it needs cleaning. Food particles have accumulated on the surface and can lead to bacterial growth.
Removing the buildup on your tongue is known as scraping, where you use a tool to scrape the surface a few times. It is recommended to start at the back of the tongue and work towards the front. You may clean your tongue with a scraper or with your regular toothbrush; both do the same work. Learn the benefits of tongue cleaning by speaking to a Denver, CO dentist.
Benefits of brushing and cleaning your tongue
- Improves your oral health.
Needless to say, brushing and cleaning your tongue with a scraper improves your oral health by cleaning the bacteria and remaining food particles in your mouth. Brushing and flossing can get rid of the harmful bacteria in your teeth and gums, but bad bacteria buildup can be on your tongue too. The best part is, scraping takes only a few extra seconds.
- Improve your sense of taste.
When bacteria keeps lingering in your mouth and producing plaque, you develop an odor or a bad smell that constantly comes out of your mouth when you speak. This bad smell can not only cause other people to feel uncomfortable, but you may lose your sense of taste. When you clean your tongue, you can tell the difference between bitter, sweet, salty, and spicy tastes better.
- Boost your immune system.
Anything that enters your body first interacts with your tongue. Therefore, any bacteria buildup on your tongue can absorb and fester into other body parts. This is why it is important to keep it clean. Brushing your tongue every day will keep it clean of bacteria and prevent it from transferring to the other parts of your body.
- Freshen your breath.
A bad-smelling mouth is one of the obvious signs of a lack of dental hygiene and care. When you do not clean the bacteria and plaque in your mouth, whether it be on your teeth, gums, or tongue, it can cause an unpleasant odor and taste in the mouth. Brushing and flossing are non-negotiable, but certain bacteria can remain on your tongue’s surface and cause bad odors.
If you struggle with bad breath and are wondering what the underlying reason may be, you may need to start cleaning your tongue.