Regular brushing of teeth and the use of special rinses are of great importance, but proper oral care also involves removing plaque from the tongue. A good paste can solve problems of gums and teeth - we were taught this from childhood, but not everyone knows what and how to clean the tongue.
In fact, an uncleaned tongue is a place where bacteria accumulate, which can provoke the development of caries and many other dental diseases.
Why you need to clean your tongue
The tongue is considered one of the components of the human digestive system; it is involved in chewing food and facilitates swallowing.
This organ is heterogeneous in its structure; the surface is represented by papillae, which are responsible for tactile, pain and taste perception. Food debris is retained in its grooves and papillae, which leads to the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
It is recommended to systematically clean your tongue in order to:
- avoid the development of caries - colonies of microbes on the tongue produce acids that harm tooth enamel;
- remove bad odor from the oral cavity - bacteria release chemical compounds with a characteristic stench (cadaverine, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan);
- remove plaque - lack of high-quality oral hygiene favors the proliferation of pathogenic flora, which causes the formation of white plaque;
- improve your health - there are about forty acupuncture points on the surface of the tongue, which have a close connection with various parts of the brain. During the cleaning process, the points are stimulated, which has a positive effect on the ability to concentrate;
- increase the perception of taste buds - a clean organ more sensitively senses the taste of the food consumed.
Five benefits of tongue cleaning
Five benefits of tongue cleaning
1. It improves digestion and keeps internal organs healthy
Did you know that the digestive process begins with the tongue? If your tongue is coated, it cannot signal the proper production of digestive enzymes to properly digest food. Cleaning your tongue is the way to health and improve your digestion.
Dental research shows that brushing your tongue is more effective at removing waste (from your mouth) than your brush.
When you clean your tongue, you make your taste buds more receptive. This allows you to better experience the taste of food, which also improves digestive processes.
According to Ayurveda, if your digestive system works properly, then you will have a strong foundation for your health. Healthy digestion protects the body from the accumulation of toxins and debris.
2. Fresh breath and oral hygiene
It is very important to have fresh, clean breath and mouth. Bad breath can dramatically change your opinion of a person! This factor can play a bad role in your life. In fact, it can worsen your self-esteem and relationships with others.
Sometimes bad breath is a consequence of dental problems. However, in most cases, bad breath is the result of a natural bacterial coating on the base of the tongue.
This part of the tongue collects tiny food debris, mucus from the nasopharynx, etc., and becomes a breeding ground for bacterial colonies. These are the things that create problems in the form of plaque, gum disease and tooth decay.
Undoubtedly, bacteria are an important part of the natural microflora of the body. When everything is in balance, the natural microflora protects us from potential problems. Good oral hygiene helps keep microflora under control so that bacteria can perform their role without causing problems.
Many people believe that cleaning the tongue with a toothbrush is sufficient. But in fact, a toothbrush is designed to clean the teeth, but not the tongue.
By using a tongue scraper, you gently remove bacteria and food for them. Clinical studies have shown that daily tongue cleaning reduces bacteria that cause oral problems and bad breath.
3. Improved sensitivity to tastes
When you brush your tongue, you enhance your sense of taste; and as you already know, digestion begins with taste. This is what supports all digestive processes.
Various parts of the tongue have connections with our lungs, stomach, heart, spleen, liver, kidneys, and also intestines. When you have a coating on your tongue, it serves as an indicator of the presence of toxins and interferes with proper digestion and good health.
A tongue scraper removes toxins from your tongue. And, at the same time, stimulates, massages and deeply cleanses the tissues and organs associated with the tongue.
4. Impact on your overall health
Ayurveda uses tongue diagnostics as a mirror of all other internal organs and their condition.
Language is a reflection of the state of all our internal organs, imbalances in body systems, as well as all improvements. All this is reflected on the surface of our language. When we use a tongue scraper on a regular basis, we allow ourselves to be aware of any changes, i.e., to see any changes in our health.
5. Cleaning your tongue will tell you if toxins are in your
Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins, whether they come from the food we eat, carbonated drinks, or even unlived emotions - all of which can lead to toxicity.
When toxins are not digested and eliminated properly, they begin to stagnate in the body. In this way they endanger our health and well-being.
Signs that, like a coated tongue, indicate the accumulation of toxins in your body (if you have any of these, there is a high probability that you are susceptible to some exposure to accumulated toxins):
- Bad breath
- Possible confusion and confusion
- Feeling of lethargy and general loss of energy
- Decline in appetite
- Frequent constipation
- Bloating and diarrhea
- Fast fatiguability
How to clean your tongue?
Ideally, you should use a tongue scraper every day. The best time is immediately after waking up, before brushing your teeth and always on an empty stomach.
- Hold one end of the scraper in each hand
- Now stick out your tongue and place the scraper on its surface as close to the root of the tongue as is comfortable for you.
- Next, gently pull the scraper towards the tip of your tongue - it will remove unwanted
- Rinse the scraper and repeat the entire process 7-14 times.
Some people gag when using a tongue scraper. However, with practice this goes away. If you have this feeling, try relaxing your tongue or exhaling as you do so. Do not use excessive force when brushing your tongue to avoid damaging your delicate taste buds. Careful use will help remove plaque without any damage to the tissues of the tongue.
Make tongue cleaning a daily ritual. The body loves the predictability of doing the same thing at the same time every day.
What plaque should be removed
When plaque is detected on the tongue, you should find out whether it is of a healthy nature or indicates the progression of various pathologies in the body.
Characteristics of healthy plaque:
- forms in the morning or after eating, can occur with thirst;
- disappears after the cleansing procedure;
- white or light yellow color of the taste organ may be a result of food coloring;
- a light coating through which the healthy surface of the organ is visible;
- is not accompanied by a “smell” from the oral cavity, digestive pathologies and other complaints.
If such signs are observed, you don’t have to worry, you just need to practice proper hygiene.
Characteristics of unhealthy plaque:
- the plaque remains throughout the day;
- there is a characteristic odor from the mouth;
- there is redness of the tongue, accompanied by swelling and cracks;
- the plaque becomes denser; if you clean it, it forms again;
- the shade of the surface changes towards yellow or brown;
- accompanying symptoms occur: discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, nausea, bitterness in the mouth, constipation or diarrhea, high body temperature, and more.
The above-mentioned characteristics are a serious reason to seek competent advice from a specialist in order to exclude the development of a particular disease - cleaning your tongue alone will not do it!
Scraper brush
A tongue scraper is no less popular than a spoon, especially since it is produced in almost identical form and from the same durable, hypoallergenic and antibacterial materials. The main difference is the presence on the working surface of the scraper of small protrusions or bristles, elastic to the touch, which reduce the useful area of the tool, but increase its cleaning properties.
Given this feature of the scraper, it is necessary to handle it more carefully than with similar instruments so as not to damage the mucous membrane. Otherwise, the cleaning procedure does not differ from the principles described above.
How to properly clean your tongue
There are many ways to remove plaque from your tongue. If a person does not have gastrointestinal pathologies, it is enough to pay a little more attention to standard oral hygiene procedures.
The following rules will help you learn how to properly clean your organ:
- Begin manipulations only after dental hygiene and mouth rinsing.
- Use specialized spoons, brushes and scrapers to clean the tongue. You need to clean your tongue with “sweeping” movements, slightly under pressure, starting from the root and ending at the tip of the organ. It is better to clean one half of the tongue first, and then move on to the other.
- Then brush 4-5 times in the transverse direction. Then apply toothpaste and scrape off plaque in the other direction (from tip to root).
- Gently brush the inside of your cheeks.
- Rinse your mouth.
Sometimes you can hear opinions about the benefits of using various antiseptics in the form of gels or rinses during the procedure. Do not hurry! If there are no indications and your doctor has not prescribed you disinfectant solutions, then they are not necessary. Uncontrolled use of antiseptic drugs is unsafe for health!
How to remove plaque from the tongue at home
How and with what to clean the tongue of an adult? There are several ways to quickly deal with this problem. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Scrapers
These are special loop-shaped devices made of hygienic plastic. Scrapers effectively remove plaque without causing discomfort or gag reflexes. The tool must be moved from the base of the tongue to the tip until the film disappears. After this, the mouth can be rinsed with an antibacterial solution.
Toothbrushes
Most models have special pads on the back surface or removable attachments for removing plaque. Hygienic procedures are carried out according to the scheme discussed above. To enhance the effect, you can apply a small amount of toothpaste to the surface of the nozzle.
Irrigators
These are modern devices for comprehensive oral care. The essence of the irrigator’s work is the directed supply of a stream of water, which gently but effectively removes food debris and plaque on tooth enamel and tongue. Irrigators work very delicately, the possibility of damage to the mucous membrane is completely eliminated. In this case, to enhance the effect, water can be replaced with a medicinal liquid with an antibacterial or anti-inflammatory effect.
Spoons
Sold in pharmacies, in appearance they resemble a small spatula with rounded edges. Thanks to this form, the possibility of injuring the tongue is eliminated.
Special spoon attachments are available for irrigators. For example, a replaceable nozzle TS-100E. This instrument is recommended by dentists for daily hygiene procedures; it effectively removes plaque and helps freshen breath.
Rinse
To clean the tongue, decoctions based on medicinal herbs and plants are used:
- Oak bark;
- Propolis;
- Calendula;
- Sage.
However, it is important to understand that it will not be possible to remove plaque with the help of decoctions alone. This method cannot replace mechanical cleaning and is used rather for preventive purposes.
Which hygiene product is better?
The list of devices for oral care is huge. In the first place are special scrapers for cleaning the tongue. They are made of plastic and resemble a tool with a long handle and a spoon tip. It is recommended to change products at the same frequency as a toothbrush.
Scraper brush
The device is characterized by a combination of scraper and brush and has very delicate bristles. The shape is flat, which helps prevent the occurrence of a gag reflex during the process of cleansing the tongue.
You can often purchase products with convex rubberized or plastic embossed strips, which promote better hygiene.
Spoon
A tongue cleaner is another great tool. Presented in the form of an elastic nozzle ending with a spoon. The water that flows through the instrument allows for manipulations to be performed quite efficiently and gently. Very often, such spoons are used as attachments for electric brushes, as well as irrigators.
In addition, you can learn from people’s experience of how to clean your tongue from plaque with a silver spoon. It is interesting that, for example, yogis use a wooden spoon for this. But here it is important that the device is used only for these purposes.
Toothbrush
Many people often use regular toothbrushes with toothpaste. In such a situation, it is better to choose products with soft or medium-hard bristles. In addition, you can purchase a special brush with a textured surface on the back side . Upon completion of hygienic procedures with teeth, the device is turned over and movements are made in the direction from the root of the tongue to its tip.
You can clean the surface with your usual toothbrushes, as well as with ultrasonic, electric or irrigators. Owners of the latest devices only need to purchase a tongue attachment.
Oral irrigator
This device is based on the action of a water jet supplied under pressure and is designed to help provide comprehensive oral care. The ability to clean your tongue is just one of its few features. To clean your tongue using a irrigator
, you need to install the appropriate nozzle (also made in the shape of a spoon, but the action of a water jet is also added here) and select the desired power mode.
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Toothbrushes
A set of spoons for cleaning the tongue.
Some toothbrush manufacturers offer to combine two tools in one by placing a ribbed or bristled surface on the back of the brush head. This tongue brush allows you to avoid purchasing additional scrapers or spoons, although the working head size is inferior to more professional hygiene products. When choosing a 2-in-1 brush, it is better to give preference to well-known manufacturers who guarantee the quality of materials and the focus of the tool on cleaning not only teeth, but also the tongue.
