Your mouth is an ecosystem. It contains billions of bacteria on any given day, and much of it ends up on the surface of your tongue. Most of this bacteria is beneficial to your health, but there are types of bacteria that you have to watch out for, or your teeth, gums, and overall health may face damage.
A Dirty Tongue = Bad Breath
Bacteria in the mouth is odor-causing, so one of the more immediate—and noticeable—effects of bacteria on the tongue is…stinky breath! Remove the bacteria, and you remove the particles that cause bad breath. Simple, right? But you may need more than your toothbrush!
What Is Tongue Scraping?
Allow us to introduce you to the oral hygiene practice of tongue scraping, if you haven’t heard of it already. Tongue scraping with a tool designed to specifically and gently scrape your tongue removes bacteria, food debris, toxins, and dead cells.
The tool can be made of soft, flexible plastic or stainless steel. Shaped like the letter “U”, you gently glide it along your tongue, from back to front. Rinse under warm water after every pass.
Make sure to get the back, as this is where much of the bacteria and debris reside!
Repeat until your tongue is clear.
Isn’t Brushing and Flossing Enough to Kill Bad Breath?
For some people, it is enough. But for many, bacteria resides in the deep crevices on our tongues. The tongue scraping tool is able to collect all the debris from your tongue’s surface and remove them from your body.
Tongue Scraping For Better Health
So why would you want to use this weird tool and scrape off some unappealing ‘junk’ from your tongue every day? There are multiple benefits to tongue scraping, actually!
Eliminates bad breath: Say goodbye to halitosis. Well, we cannot proclaim that this will completely heal any oral health issues that should receive professional treatment, but it will absolutely lessen the intensity of your breath’s odor. And that’s a good thing.
Taste: When your taste buds are clean and don’t have to compete with old food particles during each bite, they come alive! Everything tastes better! It may also reduce false food cravings and help you recognize favorite foods in a more heightened way.
Digestion: Digestion begins in the mouth, y’all. The enzymes in saliva start breaking down our food. Clear the path for increased saliva production and everything works better.
Better Oral Health: When you remove the bacteria and debris, you lessen the chance for them to stay on your teeth and gums and cause plaque build-up, tooth loss, decay, infections, periodontal problems, and gum recession.
Dr. Blacher: Your Local Family Dentist in Lombard
If you have concerns or questions about your oral health, such as bad breath, toothache, tender gums, or TMJ pain we encourage you to give us a call at (630) 916-0701 to speak with us! We welcome patients, young and old, to our caring and compassionate office in Lombard, Illinois. We look forward to providing you with the best in dental care.
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