The tongue is one of the most neglected parts of the mouth when it comes to dental hygiene. But it’s easy to see why. Many of our Monrovia patients tell us that their dentist has told them since they were kids to brush their teeth at least twice a day. But rarely do patients get told to brush their tongue. In this blog post we want to look at 3 critical reasons why you should brush or scrape your tongue every day and not just before you go to the dentist. Monrovia patients that are suffering from tooth pain, crooked or discolored teeth, or even a missing tooth should call Dr. Q today at (626) 599-9819. Even if your tooth pain or sensitivity goes away, this can often be a sign that something is wrong with your teeth so get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Why Brush Your Tongue
Your mouth is one of the best homes for bacteria. It’s dark, moist, warm, and there’s lots of leftover food for the bacteria to eat. In fact, there are billions of bacteria living in your mouth right now. While some of the bacteria is actually beneficial, there are also lots of bad bacteria.
For your teeth, the bacteria can wear down the protective enamel on the outside and cause gum disease and cavities that require filling by a dentist. Monrovia patients that brush their teeth twice a day remove that bacteria and save their teeth from getting damaged by the bacteria.
For your tongue, the bacteria can grow and multiply on the surface of your tongue because there are lots of crevices and cracks for them to hide in. Brushing and scraping your tongue removes these bacteria which can have 3 huge benefits for your oral health.
- Better breath – The bad bacteria in your mouth are one of the primary sources of bad breath. The good bacteria in your mouth will do their best to fight off the foul-smelling bacteria, but they need health. By scraping or brushing your tongue, you will remove the layers of bacteria that cause stinky breath.
- Taste – As the bacteria covers your taste buds, you may find that the flavors of your food are muted. By cleaning your tongue you can expose more of your taste buds and enjoy richer flavors in your food.
- Dental health – Like we mentioned above, the bad bacteria in your mouth cause cavities and gum disease. By removing the bacteria on your tongue, you can improve the overall health of your mouth and potentially avoid a trip for cavity filling at the dentist. Monrovia patients can either scrape their tongue with a specially designed tongue-scraper or use their toothbrush.
Why Patients Love Having Dr. Q As Their Dentist
Monrovia patients have been coming to Dr. Q for over a decade because of how gentle and compassionate she is. Dr. Q understands that patients may feel a great deal of anxiety about coming to the dentist. That’s why she listens carefully to all of your concerns and makes sure that you know exactly what’s going on at every step of your visit. We also offer a variety of sedation dentistry options to make sure that you are comfortable throughout your visit.
If you’re hoping to work with Dr. Q, give us a call today at (626) 599-9819. From cosmetic procedures like Invisalign, dental implants, and teeth whitening, to fillings, and crowns, Dr. Q provides world-class dental treatment.
