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Many people know to brush the teeth twice a day and to floss and rinse with mouthwash every day. However, it's critical to clean the tongue twice a day as well. 

The tongue holds more bacteria than the teeth due to the tongue having troughs and peaks all over it. These aspects of the tongue make it easy for the settling and thriving of bacteria. The accumulation of bacteria is significantly on the tongue structures, like in-between the taste buds. Additionally, the bacteria is easily transferable to the teeth. This transfer creates bad breath and possibly damages the teeth. 

 

How to brush the Tongue 

Now that the importance of brushing the tongue is established, you must know how to clean the tongue properly. First of all, rinsing the tongue won't work. A buildup of biofilm (some microorganisms) is present on the tongue, not just saliva. This substance sticks to the tongue's surface. Simply using mouthwash or drinking water is not enough. Furthermore, mouth rinses only destroy the outer cells of the biofilm. 

When cleaning your tongue, you must brush from the back to the front of the tongue. You also must brush it side to side. Also, you must apply a reasonable amount of pressure without causing pain to the tongue. You must not over brush or break the skin. Clean the tongue twice daily right after you brush your teeth. Before cleaning your tongue, rinse the toothbrush, put more toothpaste on the toothbrush, brushing the tongue, and rinse with water. You can also brush your tongue in the middle of the day when you have a foul taste or dryness of the mouth. 

Some people use tongue scrapers. However, there is no proof that tongue scrapers are effective in preventing bad breath, according to the American Dental Association. 

Applying the proper, daily, cleaning routine is crucial to maintaining good dental health and fresh breath. Cleaning the tongue is part of that daily routine. However, if you still are having bad breath, contact Gage Dental for dental checks in east Los Angeles and more today. 

Persisting bad breath after properly maintaining dental hygiene could be a result of a medical problem, such as sinuses, diabetes, cancer, tooth decay, throat infection, nose infection, or a mouth infection. Thus, contacting dental experts is very important.