You might only think your tongue is good for eating ice cream or mocking your siblings, but it has plenty of other uses too.
How much do you really know about your tongue? You might only think your tongue is good for eating ice cream or mocking your siblings, but it has plenty of other uses too. We’ve put together a rundown of six facts about your tongue you may not have known before.
How Long is Your Tongue?
Did you know that your tongue is four inches long? The tongue is split into two sections – one called the anterior tongue, and the other called the posterior tongue. The anterior tongue is the front part that you can see and accounts for two-thirds of the tongue’s total length. The posterior tongue is closer to your throat and makes up the remaining third of your tongue.
It Helps You Digest
The tongue also helps you digest. It moves food around while you chew, and helps the chewed-up food reach your throat for swallowing. A fold of muscle called the frenulum is what keeps the tongue attached to the bottom of your mouth. However, the tip of the tongue, also known as its apex, isn’t connected to your mouth’s floor. Since the apex is so free, it can help clean the mouth and help you talk as well.
Thousands of Taste Buds
Our taste buds are one of the most important parts of the tongue. The tongue has anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 taste buds. The tongue is instrumental in determining how something tastes, and your taste buds help you figure it out because they are situated on the top of the tongue. Different parts of the tongue can detect different tastes.
Helps You Distinguish Tastes
These five tastes are known as sweet, salty, sour, savory, and bitter. Your tongue’s best friend is the saliva in your mouth, because without the saliva, your tongue won’t be moist enough to identify any sort of taste.
A Launch Pad for Bad Breath
Unfortunately, as great as your tongue is, it’s also a launch pad for bad breath. Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is caused by bacteria that congregate on your tongue. When you’re brushing your teeth, don’t forget to clean your tongue, too!
The Mother Tongue of Motor Mouths
How fast can you talk? Your tongue is an amazing thing, because it can allow you to form and vocalize up to 90 words in a single minute. The tongue isn’t alone in this surprising feat, either – it needs the help of the lips and the teeth to convert sounds from your voice box into actual intelligible speech.
You Can Trust Olney Dental for All of Your Oral Health Needs
For all of your oral care questions and concerns, Olney Dental has the expertise and professionalism to get them the answers they need. Olney Dental is ready to supply you with expert service in a professional environment. Schedule an appointment online today! For more information on how we can give your family the best dentist experience available, give us a call at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online.
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