I have to clean my tongue too?

Did you know that brushing or scraping your tongue is an essential part of keeping your mouth healthy? Not keeping your tongue clean can lead to bad breath or conditions known as white tongue, hairy tongue and thrush.

White tongue is caused when bacteria and dead cells get trapped along the papillae (ridges) on the surface of the tongue. This creates white patches or what appears as a white coating that can be seen on the tongue. This condition can also cause a bad taste in the mouth that will not go away.

Hairy tongue is caused by a buildup of yeast and bacteria on the tongue. The tiny projections that contain taste buds (papillae) become elongated causing the tongue to have a furry appearance. The tongue can also appear to have a dark discoloration if these projections are stained by tobacco products.

These two conditions are not painful and many times patients are not aware that they have white or hairy tongue.

Thrush however can look like white tongue but is painful. Thrush is a yeast infection of the oral cavity and not just the tongue. It can be caused by antibiotic use or even a weakened immune system. This condition can be seen at any age and requires medication to treat the infection.

You should clean your tongue at least once a day while brushing your teeth. To properly clean your tongue use your toothbrush or tongue scraper in downward strokes across the tongue, removing excess bacteria and debris. Use gentle pressure starting in the center and the move to the side of the tongue. This motion may have to be repeated a few times. Be careful not to gag yourself or scrub too hard so as to damage the taste buds. Keeping your tongue clean is one of the main ways to eliminate bad breath and to keep white or hairy tongue at bay.

We always check for these conditions during your 6-month cleaning and checkup. And as always if you have any questions please feel free to contact the office!