Because It’s There?
You ideally brush and floss everyday, brushing your teeth at least in the morning and before bed, but do you need to brush your tongue? Is tongue care really that important? Since we use our tongue everyday to talk, swallow, eat and drink, this useful member of our body does in fact need care and attention!
Under the thin layer of mucus that covers and protects your tongue are food bits and bacteria that build-up unless they are removed. A study conducted by the University of Buffalo showed that along with brushing your teeth twice a day, using a tongue-cleaning device at the same time helps eliminate bad breath. To care for your tongue, after brushing and flossing as usual, use an ADA (American Dental Association) approved tongue cleaner to scrape your tongue from back to front, rinsing the scraper with each pass. It may take some getting used to, but the results are worth it and your mouth will feel cleaner.
Tongue scrapers are available as a stand-alone tool, or built into the end of some quality toothbrushes. A tongue scraper is not necessarily required either, since some patients simply choose to use their toothbrush to brush their tongue as well. Along with regular brushing and flossing and maintaining regular visits to our Placerville dentists, tongue cleaning is proven to aid your fight against bad breath.
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