Tongue Cleaning and Oral Health

03 March 2014

Tongue Cleaning and Oral Health

Several studies have proven that bacteria that have built-up on the tongue is the primary cause of bad breath and is a likely contributor to a host of other health issues including tooth decay and gingivitis. Especially during sleep, the tongue accumulates a plaque film of bacteria and other odour causing compounds since its moistness and texture provide a very conducive environment for gathering and hiding them. Maintaining a fresh breath is difficult even after brushing your teeth because of the bacterial population in the tongue.

Cleaning your tongue, separately from cleaning the teeth, is essential in order to completely remove the whitish, yellowish bad-breath-generating bacteria coating, food particles, dead cells and fungi from the back of the tongue. When these remain there for a long period, as during sleep, they produce volatile sulfur compounds at the back of the tongue which causes bad breath. Antiseptic mouth washes and rinses will have little or no affect on tongue plaque. Worse, some mouth washes and rinses which contain alcohols that can leave your mouth dry and uncomfortable.

Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush may not be enough to rid it of the plaque film of bacteria and other odor causing substances. Toothbrushes are not considered as effective for this purpose because they are designed specifically for brushing the teeth which have a solid structure unlike the spongy tissue of the tongue. A toothbrush’s pliant bristles are not really capable of combing though the landscape of the tongue’s surface, with its many tiny bumps and ridges. Instead, dentists and other oral health care specialists recommend using tongue cleaners or tongue scrapers that are ergonomically contoured in accordance with the anatomy of the tongue and are specifically designed to lift and trap the plaque coating, thereby more thoroughly cleaning the surface of the tongue.

Whether made from plastic, metal or other materials, these tongue cleaners or tongue scrapers feature a curved edge so that when dragged across the top of your tongue, they will scrape off the coating of germs and bacteria as they go. They are designed to effectively clean the tongue, especially the important hard to clean rear dorsal portion of the tongue that is very susceptible to the accumulation of plaque during sleep. The effective cleaning of the tongue removes the cause of the bad breath problem rather than simply treating the symptoms with mouthwash and breath aids. Effectively cleaning the tongue is just as important as flossing and brushing the teeth to maintain fresh breath and good overall oral health.

Regularly, routinely brushing your teeth and flossing them, cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper and using antiseptic mouth washes are excellent oral care practices. However, it is just as important that you visit your dentist at least twice a year for your in-office prohylaxis or professional dental cleaning treatment. Even with careful and frequent brushing and flossing, tartar or mineralised plaque will form and accumulate. To remove these tartar deposits, you will need professional help from your dentist or hygienist.