Each part of the mouth plays a fundamental role, to keep them in good condition and not develop diseases you must clean them properly. But surely you always focus more on brushing your teeth. Today we will tell you the importance of cleaning your tongue in oral hygiene. In this post, we will explain why you should pay attention to your tongue health.

Characteristics of a healthy tongue

The tongue is one of the most important elements involved in the digestive process. The color of a healthy tongue should be pink or pale red, with small red dots that are the taste buds. The surface must be moist and, in addition, must be able to make free movements. In case you notice that there is a considerable change in its color, shape, mobility or size you should consult your dentist or doctor. It could be an oral health problem or also an indication of some disease.

Importance of cleaning your tongue in oral hygiene

Most people concentrate heavily on brushing their teeth to avoid diseases such as halitosis or tooth decay. But they forget that properly cleaning other parts, such as the tongue, is also very important. In the tongue there are more than 700 bacteria and, although most are not dangerous, if you do not pay proper attention, they could generate some oral conditions related to poor hygiene.

Diseases caused by poor hygiene of the tongue

Halitosis

One of the main problems associated with poor tongue hygiene is bad breath. This is because bacteria begin to accumulate and multiply in your tongue, which creates a bad smell. This usually comes from the back of the tongue since it is here that there is a huge amount of bacteria.

Villous black tongue

It is one of the most common tongue diseases and although they are so common you must be careful. This disease occurs when taste buds are stained because of dark pigmentation foods such as coffee. In addition, they lengthen, which gives them a hairy appearance. This causes the tongue to darken and be seen with a greater volume. But don’t worry, with good oral hygiene habits you can easily eliminate it.

Periodontal diseases

If the accumulation of bacteria in the tongue begins to spread to other areas of the mouth such as teeth or gums, it can cause gingivitis and even serious periodontal diseases.

White spots on the tongue

When bacteria start to get out of control, fungal infections can also develop. These produce white spots on the tongue and sometimes in other areas of the mouth.