Diplomat Toothbrush with Tongue cleaner

Many people don’t give much thought to their tongue while brushing and flossing. However, your mouth is never truly clean if you fail to brush your tongue. Cleaning your tongue regularly helps to eliminate odor-causing bacteria that can cause halitosis. Tongue brushing also reduces the risk of periodontal disease, a serious infection of the gums that damages the soft tissue and destroys the bone that supports the teeth.

Cleaning your Tongue as Part of Your Oral Hygiene

Open your mouth and look at your tongue in a mirror. You’d probably characterize it as a flat, flexible organ that looks relatively clean by sight alone. However, if you look a little closer, you’ll find that the tongue has many crevices, elevations, and hair-like projections called papillae that the taste buds rest atop. In these crevices are billions of bacteria that can accumulate, contributing to bad breath and tooth decay.

The tongue may also be covered with a biofilm. Biofilm is a thin, slimy layer of bacteria that adheres to surfaces like the teeth, gums, and tongue. This biofilm prevents the tongue from being able to fully taste foods, meaning you may not be enjoying your meals as much as you could be. While everyone has biofilm, a thick biofilm caused by poor oral hygiene habits can irritate the gums and cause an inflammatory response in the body.