You probably think a lot about the health of your teeth and gums by flossing them, brushing them and keeping them generally clean. However, did you realize that another important part of oral health is taking care of your tongue? By taking care of your tongue and educating yourself about signs of an unhealthy tongue, you can ensure that your mouth stays as healthy as possible.
How to Care for Your Tongue
There are several ways that you can take care of your tongue’s health. By doing each of these regularly — once every morning and once every evening — you can avoid tongue health issues.
Scraping Your Tongue
A tongue scraper is a plastic tool sold at pharmacies (or dental offices) that can be used for a thorough tongue cleaning. To use it, simply gently run the tongue scraper over the surface of your tongue. Then, rinse the scraper in water and repeat until you’ve scraped your whole tongue.
Brushing Your Tongue
One of the simplest ways to clean your tongue is with your toothbrush. Simply brush your tongue with your brush once you’re done brushing your teeth. Once you’ve brushed the surface of your tongue, rinse your mouth out with water.
Use a Tongue Brush
A tongue brush is a brush made specifically for cleaning your tongue. Its bristles are made to clean between crevices and taste buds. To use it, start brushing at the back of your tongue and move forward in your mouth. Once you’re done brushing the surface, rinse your mouth with water.
How to Spot an Unhealthy Tongue
An unhealthy tongue is easy to spot, and it’s important to pay attention to your tongue in order to ensure you address any oral health problems that appear.
Coated Tongue
If your tongue appears coated with a film or mucus, this is a simple problem that you can fix at home. The film comes from food debris trapped between crevices in the tongue. Simply brush or scrape your tongue, and rinse it with water. You can also rinse with mouth wash.
Lumps on Tongue
While it can be normal to get spots on your tongue from time to time (like cold sores), bright red spots or lumps on your tongue that don’t go away should be checked out by your doctor. These spots are often unrelated to oral hygiene, and your doctor can examine them and rule out anything more serious like oral cancer.
If you want to take care of your whole mouth — and not just your teeth – it’s important not to forget to pay attention to your tongue. By giving it some regular, loving care, you can ensure that your smile stays as bright and beautiful as possible.
