The tongue is one of the most underrated organs in the body. More so when it comes to oral health, people will spend a lot of time cleaning their teeth and obsessing whether their teeth are the root of their bad breath.
However, most people do forget about their tongue and that it does need to be cleaned just as often and as thoroughly as the teeth. The tongue is an important organ both in speech, sensory terms and in the digestion process. It therefore stands that we should do everything possible to keep it as clean as possible. Here are a few reasons why you should always brush your tongue.
Eliminates Odor
When it comes to bacteria in the mouth, the tongue is the repository for most of it. Although some do stay on the surface of the teeth, most of it is usually resides on the surface of the tongue. As such, you will find that the bacteria that brings about bad breath reside on the surface. When you regularly brush your tongue, you remove them, thereby making it less likely that you will have any bad breath issues or halitosis.
Periodontal Disease
This is a disease that is brought about by an infection in the gums, that's because of deep pockets between the gums and teeth. When there is a serious build-up of bacteria on the tongue, it makes infecting the gums and other parts of the body that much simpler. Since the tongue is moist all the time, it makes sense that it's a perfect place for bacteria to multiply.
Oral Thrush
Brushing the tongue thoroughly and even reaching the back is crucial to your oral health. It prevents an oral thrush which should be avoided by all terms. An oral thrush is essentially an infection brought about by overgrown yeast in the mouth. This is often characterized by white patches on the tongue. Although antifungal drugs should take care of it, regular brushing should do the trick.
The tongue is a very important organ in the body. For this reason, we should always do whatever we can to keep it healthy and clean.