How to clean your tongue: A three-step guide

Do you ever wonder, if you should brush your tongue? We all know that brushing our teeth twice a day is an essential part of our oral hygiene routine, but have you ever considered cleaning your tongue every day as well? If this a new concept to you, don’t worry! We’re going to explore everything you need to know on how to clean your tongue and more dental hygiene tips.

In this article we will provide you with a simple three-step guide for your daily oral hygiene routine, including tips on how to clean your tongue:

1. Brush your teeth and gums
2. Scrape your tongue
3. Use mouthwash
   

As well as offering steps for how to clean a tongue, we’ll provide tips to help protect your oral health and explain why following these steps is so important to maintaining good oral hygiene.

Why are you supposed to brush your tongue?

Before we give you all the tips and tricks, let’s discuss our first question: Why are you supposed to brush your tongue? The answer is: The tongue, besides its vital role in body function, can play host to a lot of bacteria. With over 700 different bacteria in our mouth1 – both helpful and harmful – brushing your tongue is an important step in maintaining the health of your mouth.

But if you need a little more convincing, here are a few other reasons why it’s crucial you don’t forget to brush your tongue:

• Brushing your teeth alone does not eliminate the bacteria which cause plaque. Bacteria can accumulate in between the thousands of taste buds that cover the surface of our tongue.
• These bacteria can transform dental plaque into tartar.¹ Both plaque and tartar can cause gum problems in addition to other serious health problems including gum disease (also known as gingivitis) and in more serious cases periodontitis.
• The tongue is a reliable general health problem indicator.² Changes in your tongue’s surface from tongue coating and stains to wounds and colour changes can indicate a range of health issues.
  Tip: Changes to your tongue give you a head start on getting underlying issues fixed. If you notice something different about your tongue, it’s a good idea to seek medical advice as soon as possible.
  
• Bacteria located on our tongue can cause bad breath.³ Nobody wants to have – or smell – bad breath. However, as bacteria on your tongue interacts with the food and drink you consume, it creates a chemical reaction that can cause odour..

Ultimately, understanding how to clean your tongue will help you to ensure clean breath, and good oral health. So, let’s move on to show you the simple steps for cleaning your tongue.

How to clean a tongue efficiently and effectively

If you’re worried about how all this new knowledge will impact your tooth-brushing routine, we’ve got you covered! It’s quite easy to clean and brush your tongue, so it will be simple enough to add it to your daily oral hygiene routine. Follow these three simple steps for how to clean your tongue well:

1. Always start with the basics of good oral hygiene.
   Your tongue is only as clean as the rest of your mouth. Start your oral hygiene routine by making sure you always brush your teeth at least twice a day, for at least two minutes, with a gentle toothbrush.
   
2. Next, make sure you brush your tongue.
   The second step, and the most obvious one when it comes to cleaning your tongue, is brushing your tongue. This will help you to dislodge bacteria accumulated on the surface of your tongue. Here’s how to brush your tongue:
   1. Stick your tongue out.
   2. Scrape from the back of your tongue to the tip with your toothbrush.
   3. It is preferable to use the back of the brush head if it’s equipped with a tongue-scraper specially created for the spongy tongue surface.
   4. Rinse the tongue scraper between each passing to avoid putting the scraped bacteria back into your mouth.
   
3. Use antibacterial mouthwash. This is an especially important step if you have mouth ulcers or wounds. Antibacterial mouthwash can help these heal faster and also prevent toothbrushing from becoming painful.

Tip: Even electric toothbrushes can be equipped with a specialist tongue cleaner, like the Philips DiamondClean Smart Series with TongueCare+ toothbrush head. The integrated tongue scraper can be replaced regularly with the toothbrush head.

How to protect your oral health now that you know how to brush your tongue

Cleaning your tongue and following our steps to maintain your oral hygiene with the correct toothbrushing technique, flossing and more are only half the story. There is no better protection for your oral health than preventing issues from arising in the first place. With that in mind here are some top tips to protect your oral health now that you know how to clean your tongue well:

• Limit your intake of coffee.
• Reduce or quit smoking and using tobacco products.
• Reduce your alcohol consumption.
• Consume sugary foods and drinks in moderation.
• Rinse with water, then brush your teeth and tongue half an hour after eating (or drinking) sugary or acidic foods and drinks.

So, there you go. Should you brush your tongue? Yes! Is it difficult to do? No! There really is nothing complicated about brushing your tongue. Now you know how to brush a tongue in three simple steps, all you need to do is add this to your daily routine. In no time at all it will be second nature and your mouth will be clean and healthy.⁴