If you take a close look at your tongue in the mirror, you’ll see that it is riddled with textured surfaces, ridges, and taste buds. These areas can often harbor bacteria, encouraging plaque formation. This can hamper good oral health and even leave you struggling with chronic bad breath.
One easy way to reduce a problem like this is to add a thorough tongue cleaning to your daily oral hygiene routine. It’s most convenient to do this after you’re done brushing your teeth. You can clean your tongue by brushing its surface with a gentle circular motion. Make sure you brush around the sides of the tongue and the rough surface of the taste buds. This will help clean your tongue from some bacteria and refresh your mouth.
There are also tongue scrapers available for sale in many oral hygiene aisles. This simple device usually comes in the form of a small plastic handle with a mildly sharp edge on one end. To use it, you simply work from front to back, making multiple overlapping sweeps. If you notice a buildup of material on the blade’s edge, you should rinse it off before making another pass over your tongue.
Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned the surface of your tongue, you can floss your teeth. At the conclusion of your oral hygiene routine, you can rinse your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash. This helps wash away lingering bacteria and freshen your breath. Just keep in mind that antiseptic mouthwash can’t clean between teeth with the effectiveness of flossing. Any material left in these areas will once again promote plaque formation and bad breath.
If you have questions about oral hygiene in Littleton, New Hampshire, you can always call 603-444-2100 to speak to Dr. John S. Grisham or one of the oral healthcare specialists at John S. Grisham, DDS.