Maintaining a good oral hygiene does not mean only mean taking good care of your teeth. Even your tongue is an integral part of your mouth and also needs to be taken care of and cleaned regularly. Even the gums are important as they keep the teeth intact, but they are also taken care of with the use of mouth wash. Here are a few mistakes we commit in terms of tongue hygiene.
1. Forget to brush the tongue – The first thing that we do in the morning is brushing our teeth. But many people tend to ignore brushing the tongue which also tends to collect bacteria. When it is not cleaned, this leads to bad breath and also changes the color of the tongue. In some cases, it also leads to loss of taste. While brushing it is also important to scrape the tongue with a tongue cleaner.
2. Smoking – Smoking is not just unhealthy for the human body overall, but is also unhealthy for the tongue. It tends to make the taste buds flat and also has the ability to numb the feeling of hot and cold if ignored constantly. The habit of smoking also damages the muscle of the tongue, which leads to bad breath.
3. Not maintaining a healthy diet – The tongue is also hungry for a proper nutrition. Foods like garlic, onion, ginger and coconut have microbial properties that help to fight harmful bacteria in the tongue. Even Seafood, Spinach and poultry can be included in the diet as they are rich in iron and aid in tongue health.
4. Not drinking enough water – If the body does not get enough water, the body does not produce ample saliva and makes the tongue dry. Saliva is the natural way to deal with harmful bacteria and prevents teeth decay.
5. Not visiting the dentist regularly – Visit a dentist at least twice a year to maintain good oral and tongue hygiene.
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