If you’re jumping up in the morning to brush your teeth before anybody has a chance to say hi to you, it’s probably not because you enjoy partaking in your oral hygiene routine. The real reason most of us brush our teeth in the morning is to get rid of that dreaded morning breath. We all know that the key to fresh breath is good oral hygiene. Which includes brushing our teeth, flossing regularly and scheduling regular dental visits. However, we should also clean our tongue, which if often forgotten.

Why Cleaning Your Tongue is Important

Although our tongue appears flat, in actuality it is textured. There are lots of small grooves and bumps on it which food debris and bacteria can cling to. Similar to how plaque sticks to our teeth, bacteria can also do that to our tongue. Leftover food debris can produce lingering odors which is one of the ways you can get bad breath. It is important to clean our tongue because we can remove all the gunk that gathers up and sits on top of it. This decreases the amount of bacteria that stays in our mouth which assists in preventing things like oral disease and tooth decay.

How to Clean Your Tongue

To properly clean your tongue it is best to get a tongue scraper. They are inexpensive and can be found at any of your local stores. Scrape your tongue before you brush to remove any bacteria or food particles. Then you can go in with your toothbrush to lightly brush and make sure it is cleaned. Afterwards go in with a mouthwash to ensure fresh breath.

Having a good oral hygiene routine is important to ensure a great smile and healthy mouth. Contact Greenspoint Dental so we can help you with any of your general, cosmetic or restorative dental needs.