Why is it important to clean your tongue and how to do it properly?

As is known, bacteria are present and multiply in the oral cavity not only on the teeth, but also on the tongue and gums. Therefore, daily hygienic care of the oral cavity should include cleaning the back of the tongue. Dentist-therapist Arina Sozinova told "Gazeta.Ru" why this is important.

The doctor noted that the back of the tongue is a kind of reservoir for bacteria. The so-called papillae of the tongue create a large and uneven surface, which contributes to the accumulation of microorganisms and food residues.

"Food residues that accumulate in the depressions between the papillae are used by bacteria as a nutrient substrate. Plaque on the tongue is a very common cause of bad breath (halitosis). Based on this, tongue cleaning is necessary for the prevention of dental diseases, ENT diseases, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Another important reason is the prevention of halitosis and stimulation of taste buds, which makes them more sensitive to different tastes," said Sozinova.

According to her, everyone without exception needs to clean their tongue twice a day after brushing their teeth, regardless of whether plaque has appeared or not. In the evenings, the tongue needs to be cleaned of food residues and formed plaque. In the morning - from the plaque formed during the night.

Various hygiene products can be used to clean the tongue. In particular, a tongue scraper, which is a spoon-shaped attachment.

"This is an excellent tool for removing plaque from the tongue and cheeks. It is necessary to place the scraper on the back of the tongue as close to the root as possible and remove the plaque by moving towards the tip of the tongue," the specialist explained.

Also suitable for this purpose is a spoon attachment for an irrigator - a spoon-shaped attachment that is installed on the irrigator and correctly delivers water. Thus, it not only mechanically cleans the surface of the tongue but also washes away the remaining plaque with the pressure of water. You should start with a small water flow pressure.

At the same time, as she pointed out, scrapers and attachments for cleaning the tongue with regular use also require replacement every three months, just like toothbrushes.

"Regular tongue cleaning will help reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the oral cavity by 33% and reduce the formation of dental deposits. In addition, tongue cleaning can reduce bad breath in 85% of cases, while after brushing teeth it is reduced only in 25% of cases," added the dentist.