How And Why You Should Clean Your Tongue

Written By Abigail Wise / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Everyone always talks about why cleaning your teeth and flossing between your teeth and gums are important, but what seems to always be neglected is the tongue. It is crucial that everyone cleans their tongue, but what is the right way to do it and why is it important in the first place?

Have you ever been talking to someone and realized that you had bad breath even though you had brushed your teeth? At that moment, you should realize that you didn’t clean your tongue. By not cleaning your tongue, you may have doomed yourself to bad breath, and no one wants that.

The Significance Of Cleaning Your Tongue

With that being said, why is it so important to clean your tongue? It is so important to everyday life, so it is important that we take care of it.

The tongue’s sole purpose is to help us eat and speak. Without the tongue, we wouldn’t be able to do either or even taste our food.

Every little piece of the tongue has its job, and each job is just as important as the others. When you don’t clean your tongue, bacteria builds up. Because your tongue is covered in little bumps known as papillae, the bacteria can build up between those bumps and then get covered with a layer of mucus.    

This bacterium can result in bad breath or even discoloration of the tongue. It can also be transferred onto the teeth which can lead to more plaque and tartar build-up.

How And When To Clean Your Tongue

There are two different ways to clean your tongue, both of which are described below:

1. Brushing: The most normal and everyday way to clean your tongue is through brushing it. You can brush it with a moist toothbrush going from front to back. Make sure to also target your cheeks and roof along with your tongue.
2. Scraping: If you want a deeper clean for your tongue, you can invest in and use a tongue scraper. A tongue scraper is relatively inexpensive and is used by sliding it down your tongue to get off all of the excess surface junk.

How Often You Should Clean Your Tongue

In terms of how often to clean your tongue, you should clean it every day during your tooth brushing routine. Bacteria builds up every day throughout the day, so you want to make it a daily habit.

Overall, while it is important to clean your teeth and gums, it is equally as important to clean your tongue. If you fail to clean your tongue, you will allow bacteria to grow which can result in bad breath and discoloration.

Because of this, it is important to make it a part of your daily routine to either clean or scrape your tongue. This way, you make sure to rid your tongue of all of the bacteria that builds up. Simply scrub your tongue as you scrub your teeth!

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources make sure to check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Abigail Wise is an aspiring teacher, writer, and editor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Education with an emphasis in Creative Writing as well as working towards her teaching credential. She hopes to receive her Masters of Arts in English as well as go on to be a full-time teacher, writer, and editor.

 Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Vinicius "amnx" Amano on Unsplash