We all know how important oral hygiene is, however, between all of the daily brushing and flossing, one important aspect of dental health that often gets forgotten is the tongue. This strong muscle is the primary organ of taste due to the myriad of taste buds located on the top of the tongue. The human tongue also plays an important role in producing sounds and articulating speech. We can also count on the tongue to help with cleaning out teeth some due to its consistent production of saliva. So with all of these necessary functions that the tongue provides us with, it is surprising that we so often forget about it until our 6 month dental check up rolls around.

Fortunately there are plenty of easy ways to go about tongue cleaning, which is an essential part of your daily oral hygiene. A tongue scraper is the perfect tool to accomplish this. It is designed to clean any bacterial build up from food debris and dead cells on the surface of your tongue. One way to think of this is similar to exfoliating your skin as a preventative measure for blemishes. However, in this case cleaning your tongue is taking a preventive measure against dental decay and halitosis. Halitosis, or as it is more commonly known as bad breath, is a frustrating condition for both yourself and others around you. Of course bad breath can be caused by drinks or food that you consume, such as garlic or onions, however it will disappear after brushing your teeth, flossing, cleaning your tongue, and maybe even mouthwash depending on the severity. Bad breath is also very common in the mornings, known as ‘morning breath’ since the mouth is exposed to less oxygen and is inactive when sleeping. However, this can also easily be cured with your morning oral hygiene routine. On the other hand, there are those who unfortunately experience chronic halitosis, in which case a trip to the dentist is essential to find a cure or remedy.

Even if we are extremely diligent about our dental hygiene, bad breath can still occur throughout the day as we eat lunch or snack. In this case you may want to come prepared with some breath mints, such as Altoids or Newman’s Own organic mints, so that you can still feel like you have fresh breath throughout the day and speak confidently.

Written by Lizzy Jude