When you brush your teeth each morning and night, do you take the time to brush your tongue? A lot of people do not brush their tongue, but it is important to do this. If you currently do not brush your tongue, it could be because you do not understand the importance in it, or it could be because it causes the gag reflex to occur. Whatever your reason is, you should understand that brushing your tongue is an important step in your oral care daily routine, and here are a few things to understand about cleaning your tongue.

The top reason to brush your tongue

The top reason you should brush your tongue is to remove the bacteria that is on it. Your tongue is soft and porous, and it is the perfect home for bacteria to live in. If you never brush your tongue, you will never remove this bacteria. It is also important to know that plaque from your teeth can also get on your tongue. If this happens, you can remove the plaque from your teeth when brushing your teeth, but you will be leaving the plaque on your tongue. The plaque will transfer from your tongue back to your teeth, as if you had never brushed your teeth.

The effects of not brushing your tongue

There are several negative effects of not brushing your tongue, and the first is an increased risk of cavities. If plaque transfers from your tongue to your teeth, you will have a higher risk of developing cavities from not brushing your tongue. Secondly, the bacteria and plaque on your tongue can lead to bad breath. If you feel like your breath is bad, it could be a result of not brushing your tongue.

Other ways to clean your tongue

While brushing your tongue is the best way to clean this part of your mouth, there are other options. The main option is to purchase tongue scrapers, which are small devices designed exclusively for cleaning the tongue. With this tool, you simply scrape your tongue from back to front to clean it. After doing this, you can use a mouthwash to rinse your mouth out to help remove anything you scraped from your tongue.

If you have questions about your oral care routine and habits, or if you would like to schedule a cleaning and exam, contact a local dentist office today.