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Did You Remember to Clean Your Tongue?

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If you regularly brush your teeth but still have bad breath, maybe you need to clean your tongue. Your tongue helps you to speak and to taste food, but it is also the home of millions of bacteria, which cause bad breath other problems for your oral health. But take heart, you can clean your tongue, and it is relatively easy.

The easiest way to clean your tongue is with your toothbrush. When you are brushing your teeth, simply scrub your tongue, starting at the back and working your way forward. Don’t forget to clean the sides of your tongue and to rinse your mouth well when you are done. Some toothbrushes come with a tongue cleaner on the other side of the head of the toothbrush. If you prefer, you can use a tongue brush. Your toothbrush is designed to clean your teeth, which are relatively smooth, compared to your tongue, which has grooves. Again, scrub your tongue from the back to the front. You can also use a tongue scraper. This sounds more drastic than it is. It’s actually a just piece of plastic or metal, which you draw across the surface and sides of your tongue. You will need to rinse your tongue brush scraper before and after you use it and rinse your mouth when you are done.

If you want to know more about cleaning your tongue or have questions about taking care of your teeth, our dentists, Drs. Char and Mashimo, will be happy to tell you more. If you would like to schedule an appointment at Char Dental in Honolulu, Hawaii, call 808-450-2155 today.