Brushing your teeth and flossing twice a day is great for optimal oral health. But what about your tongue? Cleaning your tongue thoroughly as part of your regular dental routine can leave you feeling even more refreshed. Let's jump in to discover how cleaning your tongue can improve your breath and gain tips on simple tongue cleaning techniques.
Why Should You Clean Your Tongue?
While brushing your teeth and flossing take care of bacteria and debris, a large amount still remains in your mouth. Throughout the day, food debris and bacteria collect on your tongue, coating it in a mucus-like substance. A 2018 study in the Journal of Periodontal Research, found that participants who cleaned their tongue with a toothbrush or scraper had significantly less of that coating on their tongue. The participants who cleaned their tongue felt their tongues were cleaner at the end of the 2 weeks! Adding just a few extra seconds to your daily oral care routine removes bacteria in your mouth, reducing bad breath also known as halitosis.
The easiest way to clean your tongue is to use your soft-bristled toothbrush, and tongue scraper can do the job too. Typically a tongue scraper is soft, with flexible plastic that gently peels away the thin layer of debris and mucus-like coating from your tongue. There are other types of tongue scrapers made of stainless steel or other materials to choose from to meet all your tongue cleaning needs.