5 Crazy Things You Need to Know About Brushing Your Tongue

Dentists claim that more than 700 bacterial species live in our mouths. This makes brushing your tongue as important as brushing your teeth. Not all of these bacteria are harmful. However, the multiplication of the bad ones in the crevices around the small bumps on the tongue’s surface can cause serious damage. Our tongue is like a sponge, it will spread the harmful bacteria all around the mouth causing fatal diseases.

1. Bad Breath

The buildup of bad bacteria on the surface of the tongue will eventually begin to give off a bad stench. Halitosis or bad breath is the most common consequence of not brushing your tongue. If you want to get rid of the nasty stench, do not forget to brush the back of your tongue that is where the troublesome bacteria are hiding.

2. Bye! Bye! Taste Buds

Not brushing your tongue can diminish your taste buds and you might not be able to enjoy your favorite food. To regain your taste buds, you have to get rid of the biofilm.

Biofilm is a layer, which is made up of bad bacteria, food particles and dead skin cells.

3. Black and Hairy Tongue, Ewww

Foods like coffee, chocolates tend to leave their stains on the tongue. When these particles are not brushed away, they will buildup on the papillae of your tongue and it will appear hairy and black. The good news is that it should go away with regular brushing of tongue without inflicting any harm.

4.Oral Thrush

When the yeast on your tongue grows out of control because of not brushing it, you may get a yeast infection in your mouth. Yeast is naturally present in your mouth but the problem occurs when the level increases drastically. The white patches that we often see on the surface of our tongue is also caused by the over grown yeast in our mouths.

Regular brushing of the tongue can keep it at bay.

5. Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is a life threatening disease, which may cause miscarriage, stroke and even heart attack. This disease is the result of severe inflammation of the gums because of gingivitis. Bacteria are the main culprit. They accumulate on the surface of the tongue. It is necessary to get rid of those bacteria by brushing your tongue regularly.

So now that you know how important it is to brush your tongue, you might as well learn the proper way to do it. Gently brush the back of your tongue, then move forward, do not forget the sides. Either you can use your regular toothbrush or you can opt for a tongue scraper. Using toothpaste is optional but it is advisable for better cleaning. It is necessary that whenever you brush your teeth, you must not forget to clean your tongue. It will keep your mouth fresh and help you get rid of the nasty bacteria that will otherwise buildup on the surface of your tongue.