Tongue Cleaning: A Solution To Bad Breath?
It is the strongest muscle in the body, but it’s easy to forget about! So how exactly do we maintain our tongue’s cleanliness? In Africa, India, the Middle East and many other places across the world, dental hygiene includes caring for the tongue, and tongue cleaning is an essential part of the oral care routine. However, it is not yet “at the forefront of most dental care in the States. With its roots dating back into ancient history, how exactly are we as Americans going to catch onto this so called hygiene regime? Well, first things first, we need to educate ourselves on what proper tongue hygiene is!
As everyone knows, one of the worst things to encounter is bad breath. Bad breath affects up to 50% of the adult population” in the US alone. People think that buying mints or chewing minty gum will automatically help them, but in the long run it is simply masking the fact that they have do indeed have a problem. But what exactly causes this smell one wonders? Based on a study done at University of Buffalo it was found that “80 to 90 % of bad breath comes from bacteria on the tongue, and that the tongue is the largest niche for microorganisms in the oral cavity.” This means that without proper cleaning, the tongue provides large areas of accumulation for bacteria.
If done properly, maintain good oral hygiene with proper brushing and flossing, our tongue health will too benefit. Also, to get the bacteria of your tongue use the bristles lightly to scrape off excess bacteria after brushing. There are even toothbrushes out there that have a reverse side specifically for tongue cleaning. If you have any questions regarding halitosis, tongue cleanliness, or breath issues specifically, contact your dentist today!
More here.
Tags: bad breath, cleaning, halitosis, tongue