Why is it important to clean your tongue?
At Rbg Clinic, we recommend taking special care of your tongue, as bacteria accumulate there and then spread to the rest of the mouth, attacking teeth and gums. These bacteria can cause infections or cavities. The tongue is the muscular organ that allows you to chew and swallow food, speak, and enjoy your sense of taste, hence the importance of cleaning it properly every day. Furthermore, if not cleaned properly, it can cause persistent bad breath (halitosis) and other oral health problems.
Many of the people who frequently come to our office ask us how to clean their tongue. There's no doubt our answer is clear: it must be kept as clean as possible, and to achieve this, we recommend cleaning it at least twice a day.
Food residue that has not been removed by brushing may remain on the tongue.
Diseases detected by the appearance of the tongue
Some of the diseases that can be detected by the appearance of the tongue are vitamin deficiency, anemia, fungal infections or dehydration (when the tongue has a kind of white coating), the appearance of ulcers and heart diseases (when it has a purple color) among others. In fact, many specialists point out that this organ is affected when a person suffers a stroke, since a deviation of the same occurs.
In addition to the bacteria buildup that can lead to gum disease and other conditions, if you brush your teeth but don't clean your tongue, you may have bad breath.
How to clean your tongue correctly
- You can use your toothbrush to clean your tongue, as many have a head at the back for cleaning the tongue.
- Use a tongue scraper or tongue scraper and scrape this muscle gently, repeating the process several times and don't forget to include the sides of the tongue.
Proper oral hygiene also includes taking care of your tongue. At RBG Clinic, we teach you how to incorporate this routine in a simple way to prevent bad breath and take care of your oral health as a whole.