Proper brushing and flossing habits are a good start for a healthy mouth, but the story doesn’t end there. Don’t forget that the bacteria in your mouth is growing on more than your teeth and gums. This is why our International District Seattle dentistry recommends that you remember to scrape your tongue as a daily part of your oral hygiene routine.
You may be surprised by how much plaque and bacteria is on your tongue. Fortunately, cleaning your tongue is fairly easy to do. You can brush away bacteria and plaque by gently brushing the surface of your tongue with a toothbrush. Most people find the brush uncomfortable, particularly when trying to reach back towards the throat, so you may wish to get yourself a tongue scraper. Such scrapers can be found in most dental care sections, and are designed specially to clean your tongue in a way that you can’t get with your normal brush. An antibacterial mouthwash can also be a good way to kill off bacteria on the tongue, but a tongue scraping is the only way to clear off the detritus, plaque, and dead cells that are gathering on your tongue’s surface.