Tongue Cleaner

Oral hygiene is extremely important as it prevents tooth decay and bad breath. While most people are brush their teeth regularly, the tongue is often neglected.

The lower portion of the tongue is fairly smooth and contains a membrane that connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth.


This membrane is responsible for keeping your tongue in place and preventing it from sliding back into your throat. Unfortunately it also restricts how far you can stick out your tongue. Since the underneath of your tongue is smooth it is not easy for bacteria or fungi to flourish here.


However, the upper portion of your tongue going all the way to the back is extremely rough. This roughness is caused by bumps on your tongue called papillae. These papillae help in the chewing process. They also contain the taste buds which help to detect various flavors. This rough surface unfortunately is a perfect breeding place for bacteria. Bacteria require warmth and moisture to survive and the tongue provides just that. In addition to this, the bacteria are able to lodge in the spaces between the bumps and thrive there. This bacterial infestation is one of the main causes of bad breath. In addition to harboring bacteria, the tongue almost always has bits of food plaque and mucus. Cleaning your tongue can reduce bad breath and bacteria by 75 %.

How to clean your tongue:

• You can either use a tongue cleaner or your toothbrush to clean your tongue. First brush your teeth as usual and rinse your mouth out thoroughly.

• Apply a very small amount of toothpaste to your toothbrush or tongue cleaner and brush the front portion of your tongue with it. Make sure that you do not apply too much pressure or you will damage the sensitive skin on your tongue and make it sore.

• Slowly start to brush the portions of your tongue that are further behind. Make sure that you spend more time on this area as it is rougher and generally contains the majority of the plaque and bacteria.

• You may start to gag slightly and if you do make sure that you stick with brushing the portions of your tongue that do not make you gag.

• After a few days of cleaning your tongue, you can start to clean a little further. In time the muscles of your throat will relax and you will not feel like gagging even when you brush the furthermost portions of your tongue.

Make sure that you always rinse your mouth out completely after you brush your teeth to remove any mucous and plaque remnants.