The human mouth is full of microbes and bacteria, which sum up to approx 20 billion. We often take care of the bacteria that grow on the teeth, but those on the tongue are usually neglected and not looked after unless there’s a white layer on the tongue. So, how to clean your tongue?
While many people practise good dental hygiene, the tongue is sometimes overlooked. This is unexpected, given that it is home to millions of odour-causing bacteria and dead cells! So, if you brush, floss, and do mouthwash every day and still have foul breath, it’s possible that you’re not cleaning your tongue.
This article will discuss the universal and most adaptable way of cleaning your tongue to avoid further complications.
Standard Way to Clean Your Tongue
You may clean your tongue in two ways: with a scraper or with a toothbrush. When using a brush, you need to gently clean your tongue from the back to the front. It’s better to do this when the brush is still damp and has a tiny bit of toothpaste on it. After brushing your teeth, spit out and rinse the extra toothpaste from your mouth so you can have a firmer grip on the surface of your tongue. Remember to clean your tongue, cheeks, and mouth roof.
Another way to boost the health of your tongue is to clean it using a scraper. They’re pretty cheap and can be bought at most supermarkets and pharmacy stores. Use gentle pressure to drag the tool down the surface of your tongue from back to front, washing between drags to avoid redepositing germs. This removes the top layer of mucus on your tongue, as well as any germs and food particles.
When you’re finished, clean and dry your scraper, brush, and floss as usual; cleaning your tongue should be part of your regular oral health practice to clean your tongue from the back to the front gently since bacteria accumulation on the surface of your mouth may occur fast.
Dealing With Pain And Gag Reflex
If your tongue hurts during brushing or afterwards, you may be brushing too hard. Because the tongue is so sensitive, brushing it incorrectly might cause irritation. Wait a few days for your tongue to recover before resuming brushing with a soft touch.
If the discomfort is caused by a wound or sore on the tongue, avoid brushing it until it heals since brushing may worsen the condition. If you have reoccurring sores or the damage takes too long to heal, you should see your dentist discuss your treatment options.
Gagging is an uncontrollable reaction to anything deep down your throat. Some people have a particularly sensitive gag response, making tongue brushing an unpleasant experience. Fortunately, your body may become used to tongue brushing and minimise gagging with time.
To clean your tongue from the back to the front gently meanwhile, extend your tongue out as far as you can and exhale as soon as you feel a gag reflex coming on. This should suppress your gag reaction and allow you to wipe your tongue.
Bottom Line
Your mouth is teeming with germs, over 700 distinct types to be exact. Almost half of these germs are found on your tongue. Not all are dangerous, but when nasty ones arrive, they establish a base and multiply. Your tongue is not flat; it has many hills and fissures that are ideal for germs to hide. These germs can seriously harm your health as well as your self-esteem.
Sure, we’d all want to believe that we have wonderful oral health. While brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing on occasion is admirable, the fact is that you may be doing so much more. Learning how to clean your tongue can aid in the improvement of your oral hygiene. It can also help prevent gum disease, reduce bad breath, and do various other things.