When we hear the term oral hygiene, the first thing that pops up in our minds is brushing and flossing our teeth regularly. Most people often overlook that oral hygiene isn’t limited to keeping your sparkly whites clean. Your tongue is also essential to your oral cavity, and maintaining its hygiene is as important as keeping your teeth clean.
Only a few people brush their tongues. For most people, brushing the tongue is an odd idea. However, you should be brushing your tongue regularly, just like you brush your teeth.
If you’re interested to know why you should brush your tongue, continue reading ahead.
Your Tongue is Covered with Bacteria
How many times have you looked at your tongue in the mirror to find it a different colour? Your tongue turns orange after you enjoy an orange popsicle. It turns red after you consume red wine. This shows that the food you consume sticks to your tongue. And where there’s food, there’s a massive opportunity for bacteria to feed and grow.
You may not know this, but your tongue is covered in bacteria, and if you don’t brush your tongue, you’re at risk of oral cavity infections.
You Might Get Bad Breath
When there are bacteria living on your tongue, feasting on the food remains, your breath will smell bad. Bacteria metabolize the food they eat and produce a foul smell. Brushing your tongue regularly will ensure that there are no bacteria on your tongue, thereby preventing bad breath.
Black Hairy Tongue
Pop out your tongue and observe it closely in a mirror. You’ll see tiny bumps all across the tongue. These bumps are called papillae. When you consume dark-coloured foods, they can stain these papillae, and as a result, they’ll start to appear black. This condition is referred to as Black Hairy Tongue in which your tongue seems like it’s covered in black hair.
Periodontal Disease
If you brush your teeth regularly, you can still get a periodontal disease if you aren’t brushing your tongue too. The bacteria from the tongue can easily move to your teeth and cause inflammation of the gums and other dental infections that can not only be painful but also lead to problems with bad breath.
Reduced Flavour
With the tongue covered with bacteria, the food might not reach the taste buds, and you may experience reduced flavour. The taste buds on the tongue will be covered with bacteria, and therefore, they won’t be able to signal the brain about the flavour of the food you’re consuming. Brushing your tongue regularly will ensure that all the taste buds are fully available to receive the food you eat and signal the brain about the profound flavours of your food.
Now that you know why brushing your tongue is so important, it’s high time you change your practices and brush your tongue as frequently as you brush your teeth!