Beyond brushing: Why cleaning your tongue matters

Posted on August 1, 2024 in Healthy You

You might focus a lot on your teeth and gums to care for your oral health — but what about your tongue? Your tongue is an important part of your mouth, and giving it some daily attention as part of your regular dental hygiene routine is a good idea.

Benefits to daily tongue cleaning

Your tongue has more of an impact on your oral health than you might think. Cleaning your tongue each day offers several benefits, including:

• Fresh breath: The tongue's textured surface can trap bacteria within its tiny bumps. This bacteria can cause bad breath, so regularly cleaning your tongue helps remove these bacteria and combat bad breath.
• Reduced risk of cavities and gum disease: The bacteria on your tongue can lead to cavities and gum disease. Brushing and flossing remove germs on your teeth and gums, but cleaning your tongue helps lower the overall bacterial load in your mouth, promoting better oral health.
• Sharpened sense of taste: Cleaning your tongue may actually improve your sense of taste by removing extra layers of bacteria that can dull flavors on your tongue.

How to clean your tongue: Tools and techniques

The two best tools to clean your tongue are a tongue scraper or a toothbrush.

A tongue scraper is the best option to clean your tongue, as it’s specially designed to remove germs from the tongue’s bumpy surface. You can find tongue scrapers at most drugstores, and it’s important to select plastic, rounded versions, which are gentlest on your tongue.

If you don’t have a tongue scraper, a soft-bristled toothbrush can help clean your tongue.

Tongue cleaning is simple and can easily be incorporated into your regular at-home dental care routine. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:

1. After brushing your teeth, stick out your tongue as far as it will comfortably go.
2. Gently scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper or brush with your toothbrush. Start at the back of your tongue and gently scrape or brush forward in long strokes.
3. Rinse your tongue scraper or toothbrush after each scrape/brush stroke.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 a few times.
5. Finish by rinsing your mouth with water.

Tongue cleaning might feel a bit strange at first, but it should never be painful. If you regularly experience pain or bleeding when you clean your tongue, contact your dentist to help solve the underlying problem. 

Consider cleaning your tongue for optimal oral health

Adding another step to your dental care routine can be tough, but tongue cleaning is a simple addition that can make a big difference by promoting fresher breath, a heightened sense of taste and better overall oral health.