Don’t Forget Your Tongue!

It’s easy to forget one of the hardest working members of your body, the tongue! It’s always there, tasting the good and the bad and helping you to speak clearly every day. The only time many of us give our tongues some thought is when we bite it or look at it after eating a colored popsicle to ask, “Did my tongue change color?”

At the Yuba City Dental Group, we don’t want you to forget about your tongue. It needs to be taken care of, just like your teeth do! Therefore, you should brush your tongue when you brush your teeth. Now some may question the need. A tongue doesn’t get cavities, after all. There are other diseases of the tongue, however, that at kept away if you clean it regularly.

To clean your tongue, you can take advantage of different toothbrushes that have tongue scrapers and tongue brushing equipment. These increasingly popular features are found in the dental care isle of most grocery stores. Since that’s the case, it brings up the question of whether a tongue scraper has any additional benefits or whether you can just get the job done by brushing your tongue with your toothbrush. Fortunately, dental scientists actually study these questions.

What the Studies Show on Tongue Scraping

A clinical study from the University of Buffalo showed that, along with brushing twice a day, using a tongue-cleaning device at the same time helped to eliminate bad breath. It’s easy to do: after brushing and flossing, use an American Dental Association approved tongue cleaner to scrape your tongue from back to front, rinsing it off with each pass. Your gag reflex may fight you a little at first, but with regular use you’ll adjust and your dental health will improve.

Nevertheless, in our practice we see that many people simply use their toothbrush to brush their tongue and they too see good results. Combine that with regular cleanings and exams from the Yuba City Dental Group and your mouth will be healthy! Make an appointment today to see how our Yuba City family dentists help patients to have bright healthy smiles.