Keep Your Tongue Healthy, Too!

We usually talk a lot about tooth health, proper oral hygiene, and how important it is to take care of your teeth. However, all of us at our dental offices in Highland Park and Chicago Heights want to take this opportunity to talk about an often forgotten part of your overall oral health. Your tongue.

Your tongue is a pretty amazing muscle. Not only is it one of the strongest muscles in the body, it serves many purposes including chewing, swallowing, and talking. But it can also hold a lot of bacteria and other smile-damaging particles. This makes proper tongue care just as important to proper teeth and gum care.

Why to Take Care of Your Tongue

Making your tongue a daily part of your oral hygiene routine has lots of benefits.

• Yum!! A cleaner tongue means your taste buds aren’t covered with bacteria or acid, so food tastes better. This benefit alone makes us want to go brush our tongues right now!

• Keeps Teeth Healthier. Your tongue and teeth are in contact most of the day, everyday, which means your teeth are constantly exposed to whatever is on the tongue. If bacteria and acid are lurking on your tongue, the chance for tooth decay and erosion greatly increases.

• Ahhh, Fresh! While there are many reasons behind bad breath, an uncared for tongue is often a culprit. Giving your tongue the attention it deserves is a great way to keep bacteria and bad breath at bay However, if your bad breath doesn’t go away, see your dentist as soon as you can as it may be a sign of something serious.

Give Your Tongue Some Love!

Every time you brush your teeth, make sure you gently brush your tongue too. With over 10,000 taste buds on the tongue, it creates a lot of space for gross stuff to hide. A quick brush with your toothbrush can help. If you have trouble brushing your tongue, which is pretty common, ask your dentist about a tongue scraper.

At our dental offices in Highland Park and Chicago Heights, we want to make all of our patients aware of the importance of proper tongue care. Make sure to brush at least twice a day, including your tongue, and floss once a day. And as always, regular appointments with us can help catch any problems before they become serious.

Accepting patients from Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Chicago Heights, Crete, Park, and Forest.