How to take care of the tongue?

Using a tongue cleaner to clean the back of the tongue of debris and bacteria is one of the oldest methods of maintaining oral hygiene. The procedure is rather simple with the only side effect being that over-enthusiastic cleaning might end up inducing vomiting because of the gag reflex akin to tickling the back of your throat with your finger. Tongue cleaning can be done with a tooth brush but this may not be very effective because of the shape of the toothbrush, which is designed to clean the teeth and not the softer tissue of the tongue. Ideally, one should clean the tongue with a specialized tongue cleaner with is shaped in such a way that fits over the whole tongue and with a quick wipe will remove plaque and debris on the tongue. It has been shown that regularly cleaning the tongue is a good way to prevent incidences of oral thrush and halitosis - bad breath.

Our mouths are probably the most bacteria infested areas of our body rivaled only by our small intestines. There may be over five hundred species of bacteria that inhabit the mouth and are responsible for tooth decay and other problems that occur in the oral cavity. Additionally, the candida fungus that exists in all human beings, inside and outside, also appears in large numbers in the mouth. After a meal, there is all kinds of debris inside the mouth and this becomes a nutrient base for many microbes like bacteria and fungi. When these bacteria get to work, they form compounds that are quite toxic and contain high amounts of sulfur - the actual cause of bad breath. Overnight, the bacteria reproduce in such high numbers that they end up forming a coating on the tongue called plaque. This should be removed every morning when you brush your teeth so that the same toxic debris and bacteria don't end up going into your stomach. Ideally, a tongue cleaner is the best way to get rid of both microbes and food debris in the mouth; however, if you do not have access to any of these, then you should invest in a mouth wash. This effectively sterilizes the mouth. If you can even gargle with this solution then the back of your throat would also be protected. Removing food debris would be the only problem that then requires attention and this can be done by using a toothbrush deftly maneuvered to ensure that the entire surface of the tongue is attended to.

answered by M W

Oral hygiene is extremely important as it prevents tooth decay and bad breath. While most people are brush their teeth regularly, the tongue is often neglected. The lower portion of the tongue is fairly smooth and contains a membrane that connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth. This membrane is responsible for keeping your tongue in place and preventing it from sliding back into your throat. Unfortunately it also restricts how far you can stick out your tongue. Since the underneath of your tongue is smooth it is not easy for bacteria or fungi to flourish here. However, the upper portion of your tongue going all the way to the back is extremely rough. This roughness is caused by bumps on your tongue called papillae. These papillae help in the chewing process. They also contain the taste buds which help to detect various flavors. This rough surface unfortunately is a perfect breeding place for bacteria. Bacteria require warmth and moisture to survive and the tongue provides just that. In addition to this, the bacteria are able to lodge in the spaces between the bumps and thrive there. This bacterial infestation is one of the main causes of bad breath. In addition to harboring bacteria, the tongue almost always has bits of food plaque and mucus. Cleaning your tongue can reduce bad breath and bacteria by 75 %.

How to clean your tongue:

• You can either use a tongue cleaner or your toothbrush to clean your tongue. First brush your teeth as usual and rinse your mouth out thoroughly.
• Apply a very small amount of toothpaste to your toothbrush or tongue cleaner and brush the front portion of your tongue with it. Make sure that you do not apply too much pressure or you will damage the sensitive skin on your tongue and make it sore.
• Slowly start to brush the portions of your tongue that are further behind. Make sure that you spend more time on this area as it is rougher and generally contains the majority of the plaque and bacteria.
• You may start to gag slightly and if you do make sure that you stick with brushing the portions of your tongue that do not make you gag.
• After a few days of cleaning your tongue, you can start to clean a little further. In time the muscles of your throat will relax and you will not feel like gagging even when you brush the furthermost portions of your tongue.

Make sure that you always rinse your mouth out completely after you brush your teeth to remove any mucous and plaque remnants.

answered by G M

Most people neglect to brush their tongue after brushing their teeth, and the truth is if you forget this, the minute to leave the bathroom, all those germs that you neglected to brush off your tongue pack up on those shiny teeth. This leaves you at square one again. Bacteria that cause bad breath can be found in those grooves, cracks and little spots where you find the taste buds. What you have to know is that a toothbrush is a little too soft for your tongue. A proper job will never get done this way.

What you are going to need is what is called a tongue scraper. It resembles a garden rake - with the grooves. All you have to do in the morning after brushing your teeth is open your mouth wide, insert the scraper and give it a decent scrape - from the back to the front a couple of times. Rinse the scraper after the first scrape before performing the second scrape. Do this every morning and evening after brushing your teeth before rinsing with a desired mouthwash. You will be amazed to know what you will find after scraping your tongue. Try it and see for yourself.

answered by S M