We talk a lot about the importance of cleaning your teeth and gums in our blog, but it’s just as important to make sure your tongue is clean too. The tongue can harbor bacteria that cause bad breath, and cleaning your tongue can improve your oral health overall. Learn about tongue cleaning and oral health in this week’s blog!
A Cleaner Tongue for a Cleaner Mouth
When you eat anything, there’s an increase in the amount of bacteria in your mouth. That’s because these bacteria are needed to break down food particles in the mouth. However, in the process of breaking down food, bacteria produce VSCs (volatile sulfur compounds) as a byproduct. These compounds contain odors that most people find unpleasant. VSCs include things like hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide. Who wants those hanging out on their tongue?
Lots of people use breath mints or gum to freshen up after a meal. And while this will provide a quick fix, mints and gum only mask the odors, they don’t actually get rid of them. To do this you’ll have to brush your tongue, or even better, use a tongue scraper.
Tongue scrapers have been shown in a number of studies to be the most effective of removing bacteria from the tongue. Toothbrushes will get some bacteria, but the bristles have a hard time getting in the small crevices of the tongue. Tongue scrapers, on the other hand, scrape the bacteria right out.
Removing bacteria from your tongue does more than just improve your breath. Removing bacteria from your mouth is always a good way to reduce your risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Plus, by removing this layer of bacteria from your tongue will allow you to taste your food better! In addition, you’re preventing those VSCs from being reabsorbed by the body, and promoting saliva production. All in all, scraping your tongue is great for your oral health!
To use a tongue scraper, place the scraper as far back on your tongue as possible, and then use a firm but careful stroke to scrape forward. Don’t apply too much pressure! After each stroke, rinse the scraper so you’re not just putting the same bacteria right back in your mouth. Do this 5-10 times.
Call Olney Dental at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online for an appointment. And don’t forget to visit Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube to connect with us on social media.