Using a Tongue Cleaner

The tongue is an area of your mouth that can harbor millions of bacteria and acids that could affect your oral health. Not only do these particles cause bad breath, the acids that accumulate could result in additional dental health problems. Taking time to clean your tongue with a specific tool such as a tongue scraper can help you protect your oral health more effectively, as long as the tool is used correctly to remove bacteria particles.

We offer the following suggestions to help you maintain fresh breath and keep your mouth clean and healthy:

– Thoroughly rinse tongue scraper before and after it is used to clean your tongue, as bacteria could otherwise linger on the scraper if it is not sanitized properly.

– There is no specific order when it comes to scraping your tongue to make the practice more useful as long as you clean on a daily basis. An excellent method is to start with the back of your tongue and scrape toward the tip so that you can eliminate bacteria.

– Be gentle when scraping your tongue with a cleaning tool so that forceful scraping doesn’t cause damage to the soft tissues.

– Address all areas of the tongue, including the top, bottom, and sides.

– Following the completion of your tongue cleaning procedure, rinse your mouth out with water to remove any dislodged particles.

We hope these tongue cleaning tips have been helpful to you. If you have any additional questions about tongue health in Park Ridge, Illinois, contact Family Dental Care Park Ridge at (847) 692.6800 for an appointment with our dentist, Dr. Matthew Demas.