Top Tips to Clean Your Tongue

Brushing your teeth twice daily is known to help your dental health, but it is highly common that, in the process of focussing on your teeth and gums, your tongue is missing out on a vital clean. Without a clean, your tongue can be one of the main causes of bad breath, or in extreme cases halitosis.

It may be worth assessing how to look after your tongue when looking at your oral hygiene habits. Follow the below tips to gain better oral hygiene.

How to Brush Your Tongue

After you have spent the 2 minutes brushing your teeth, spend some time focusing on your tongue. You can either just use your tooth brush or purchase a brush that has tongue grooves built in to the back of the head of a normal toothbrush.

The reason it is vital to include your tongue in your cleaning regime is because it is one of the main places that harbour bacteria. Use a small amount of toothpaste on your tongue and brush accordingly to get rid of this build up. Start at the back of the tongue and move forwards, finishing off by rinsing with water.

Use a Tongue Scraper

If you are looking for a way to thoroughly clean your tongue, then it may be worth opting for a tongue scraper. This is usually made of a soft plastic that is relatively flexible and works by scraping the small mucus layer off of the tongue. With each scrape, there should be a rinse under warm water.

If in the process your tongue begins to feel sore, or starts to bleed slightly, you may be using this tool with too much force. Therefore, work lightly with it to avoid damage but to still accomplish the goal of cleaning.

When to Clean Your Tongue

Whenever you clean your teeth, ensure that you end with a clean of your tongue. This means cleaning once in the morning and in the evening, but if you notice that you have smelly breath in the middle of the day, perhaps scrape your tongue until you can brush thoroughly.

End the whole routine by washing your mouth out with mouthwash. This not only adds to the freshness of the breath but can kill off the rest of your bacteria. Get on top of your dental hygiene, and your breath, by employing good oral hygiene practices.