Tongue Hygiene & Health

Tongue Hygiene & Health

Over the course of our lives, we tend to accumulate a lot of toxins through the food, air and water we consume. This has the tendency to affect our overall wellbeing. Some of the signs that you may have toxins ¡n your system can be noticed, if there is a general feeling of lethargy, constipation, coating on the tongue, diminished appetite, diarrhoea, bloating etc.

It you have been noticing the above signs, steps must be taken to cleanse the toxic residues in your body. Some of the effective ways to do this, is by having a balanced and timely diet, ensuring regular bowel movements, eliminating of harmful substance intake and cleaning your tongue.

Tongue cleaning is an age-old practice since the era of the Romans and mentioned in the texts of Ayurveda. The benefits of tongue cleaning are varied, from oral hygiene to an overall feeling of health. It helps in preventing bad breath by removing anaerobic bacteria, decaying food debris and dead cells. The tongue also happens to be perfect breeding ground for many microorganisms causing gum and tooth diseases.

Regular cleaning of the tongue ensures prevention of formation of such colonies and at the same time, it also enhances the taste sensation by removing the debris, as a dirty tongue cannot sense subtle flavours of food. Also, research has confirmed the association of oral health with overall wellbeing of the body because oral bacteria has been associated with systemic disorders like endocarditis, osteoporosis, pneumonia etc.

The process of tongue cleaning is usually carried out with the toothbrush and specially designed tongue cleaners. But the toothbrush is not as effective as it has soft bristles designed to clean the hard surface of the tooth as opposed to the tongue which is a soft tissue organ.

Besides being essential for oral hygiene, tongue cleaning also promotes an overall healthy feeling. It helps in preventing bad breath, tooth and gum diseases and also enhances taste sensations

Tongue cleaners are very easy to use. After brushing your teeth in the morning, extend your tongue out and hold the cleaner from both ends. Place it as far back on the tongue as comfortable and scrape the tongue in two-three strokes. Though many complain of a severe to mild gag reflex (vomit inducing) while using the tongue cleaner, this can be overcome by relaxing the tongue and the throat muscles.

However, incorrect and overzealous use of tongue cleaners can lead to depapillation of the tongue which can result in a smooth, bald tongue and loss of sensation of certain tastes. Using ergonomically designed tongue cleaners can solve this problem. Tongue cleaners should also be washed and maintained as in some cases it has known to lead to bacteremia causing endocarditis. Overall, the use of tongue cleaners is a healthy practice, provided proper care and precaution is taken.

Leave a Comment