Learn Why And How To Clean Your Tongue
Harmful bacteria can accumulate on the surface of your tongue that can lead to bad breath, altered taste and colour changes. The surface of your tongue is not smooth; there are many microscopic grooves and valleys created by the tiny papilla, or taste buds, that are spanning your tongue from the tip to the back near your throat. Much like around your gums, plaque can accumulate between these taste buds and needs to be cleaned out regularly.
Signs/ Symptoms of Plaque on your Tongue
- Bad breath, called “halitosis.”
- Colour change on the surface of your tongue that appears white or cream coloured
- Altered taste due to a layer of plaque covering the fragile and sensitive taste buds
- Bad taste in your mouth
Tools for Cleaning your Tongue
There are two main options for tools to help you keep your tongue clean. You can use either a toothbrush (either the bristles of the toothbrush or sometimes toothbrushes have a tongue cleaner on the bristles’ flip side) or a designated tongue cleaner, which can either have bristles or corrugated plastic.
How to Clean your Tongue
Whichever type of tongue cleaner you are using, they are generally used in the same way. Start with accessing the back of your tongue with the tongue cleaner. Then sweep the bristles (or the corrugated plastic) from the back of your tongue forward. This motion will have to be repeated several times before the tongue cleaner comes out clean. It is essential to rinse/clean the tongue cleaner between each sweep to remove the plaque that has come off your tongue. Ensure your tongue cleaner is cleaned off adequately between use and store it in the same way as your toothbrush. It is recommended to clean your tongue daily.
Benefits of a Clean Tongue
- Better breath
- Improved experience with tasting food
- No discoloured coating on the tongue