Language is one of the most important muscles of the human body. It plays a huge role in the formation of articulate speech, is involved in chewing food. However, unlike teeth, they are rarely given enough attention and care. But this is important and necessary. Cleaning the tongue is a procedure that not everyone regularly carries out. How does it happen and why is it needed?
About language
This organ at first glance is nothing special - muscle tissue, covered with mucous. However, it performs important functions and cannot be replaced. In humans, the tongue is involved in the formation of speech, in chewing, salivation, and taste perception. In animals, it also serves as a heat regulator and the main means of maintaining hygiene.
The top of the tongue is covered with special papillae, allowing you to distinguish between 5 basic tastes, as well as the temperature of food. This is an important function, but from a modern point of view, the formation of articulate speech is the most important thing. And the tongue is directly involved in this process along with other parts of the oral cavity and the vocal cords. BUTsince some of these organs are also regularly in contact with food, they must be carefully monitored for cleanliness.
Oral hygiene
At least twice a day you need to brush your teeth - children absorb this almost with mother's milk. It is important to form this habit as early as possible. Ideally, it is necessary to start immediately after the appearance of the first teeth, so that the baby gradually gets used to the procedure. Every mother chooses an age-appropriate brush and paste for her child, but not everyone is interested in how well they carry out hygiene measures.
Firstly, you can not brush your teeth by moving the bristles along the jaw, because of this, the enamel becomes thinner faster. Secondly, it is necessary to pay careful attention not only to the front, but also to the back, as well as the chewing surface, on which plaque can also accumulate or particles of food remain, because the goal is to maintain he alth, not beauty, and the second is impossible without the first.
Another common mistake is to completely ignore the rest of the mouth. Cleaning the tongue and the inner surface of the cheeks, as well as gum massage, as a rule, are not carried out at all or occur only from time to time. This is wrong, you need to pay attention to these parts all the time, because the he alth of your teeth depends, among other things, on their environment. And careful attention to the rest of the mouth can prevent a large number of extremely unpleasant diseases, so do not neglect this.
Cleaning the tongue
This procedure is loved and carried out farNot all. First, many people suffer from a gag reflex, which can be triggered by unfortunate pressure on the root of the tongue. Secondly, it sometimes takes longer than brushing your teeth, and in general it can hardly be called a pleasant experience. Nevertheless, this is necessary, since a large number of bacteria accumulate in the entire oral cavity, which can cause caries or, for example, stomatitis. And getting rid of them only on the teeth without affecting the cheeks, gums and tongue does not make much sense. Given the variety of special devices for this, you should not neglect the complete procedure. How is tongue cleaning done with a scraper or brush?
Procedure
After brushing your teeth, you need to pay attention to the tongue. This can be done both with a regular brush, especially if there is a special surface with rubber bristles on its reverse side, or with the help of special tools, which will be discussed in more detail a little later. You need to clean both the front part closer to the tip and the root. The latter must be handled with care, as pressure on this part can cause a strong gag reflex. It is better to move from the root to the tip, gradually increasing the pressure, but without making it too strong.
After cleaning the tongue from plaque, rinse your mouth thoroughly, if necessary, use an irrigator and a special liquid. This will help to further clean the oral cavity of everything unnecessary and prevent the growth of bacteria for a while.
Why is this needed?
With some malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract and diseases, the tongue is covered with plaque. Depending on the condition, it can be yellow, white or even black. In addition, pathogenic bacteria in the process of life can emit an extremely unpleasant odor, which repels others. For the treatment and prevention of such conditions, it is necessary to regularly clean the tissues of the oral cavity. In addition, it is believed that by renewing the tissues of the tongue in a timely manner, one can begin to feel the taste of food more subtly and vividly. True or not, it is difficult to say, but the timely replacement of the epithelium with getting rid of the old one will definitely benefit.
In order to properly carry out the procedure, you can even buy a special kit. Cleaning the tongue with it, if everything is chosen and done correctly, will become easier and faster, and there will be a minimum of discomfort. Finally, the regular procedure will make the root less sensitive, resulting in a decrease or disappearance of the gag reflex. And one more plus - a constant independent examination of the oral cavity will help to notice negative changes in a timely manner, for example, the appearance of uncharacteristic plaque, ulcers, etc.
Reviews of people who have started regularly cleaning their tongues speak for themselves. Respondents note a longer feeling of freshness, they are less worried about bad breath, and they get sick less often. Of course, at first it is difficult for some to overcome the gag reflex, but it quickly passes. People quickly get used to the procedure and perform it daily, just like brushing their teeth.
Brushes and scrapers
There are two main types of tools used to clean the tongue. Firstly, these are brushes, shaped like a razor, which have a soft rubber coating instead of blades. They are usually long enough to reach the root, so they should not be used if the gag reflex is severe. On the other hand, a tongue brush is usually very handy and makes the process quick and easy. The second category is scrapers, which can be either a handle with a loop at the end or a flexible, curved band of plastic or silver. This device is more perfect, and with its help you can literally clean in one movement, simply by swiping from root to tip. The silver scraper is more hygienic and durable, but also more expensive, while the plastic one can be changed almost every week.
When choosing an instrument, you need to pay attention to whether it touches the soft palate, since pressure on it can also provoke vomiting. It is best to consult a dentist during the next appointment - he can show you different types of devices and help you decide, as well as tell you more about how the tongue is cleaned. It is important to learn how to do it right.
Pasta
Tongue cleaning can only be done with tools, but you can also use different special gels. Of course, regular toothpaste will work too, but its formula usually serves other purposes and may not be the best option in this case. Special gel for cleaning the tongue is usually softer, contains emollients and nutrients, as well as extracts of wound healing plants, which is important if the patient often suffers from stomatitis. Disinfection completes the procedure and allows you not to worry about bacteria and bad breath for several more hours. But if for some reason it is impossible to keep a tube of another product in the bathroom, you can clean it without everything, only with water.
Features
In order not to make things worse, you need to follow some simple rules.
- Moderation in pressure. You do not need to rub your tongue hard, scraping off all the mucous from it. Cleansing should be done gently, without serious effort, otherwise you can seriously damage the tissue.
- Easy disinfection of instruments and their timely replacement. Over time, bacteria accumulate on scrapers and brushes, which must be disposed of. If they are metal, they can be placed in a special solution or boiled, and plastic ones are easier to just throw out every month, replacing them with new ones.
- The same tools can be used to treat the inside of the cheeks, also freeing it from plaque, mucus and bacteria.
It is important to remember that the he alth of the teeth and the whole body as a whole depends on the condition of the oral cavity, through which a variety of bacteria can enter the body. Stay he althy!
