In modern medicine, the tongue is not just an organ for taste and speech. It is considered to be a miniature copy of the entire body. In other words, the state of your tongue – its shape, color, coating or texture – indicates the state of your overall health.

In this column, I address the importance of taking proper care of your tongue.

The human tongue is made of eight muscles. It is three to four inches long, with thousands of invisible taste buds. What you may not know is that the color of the tongue tells the story of its health. A uniformed pink color is a tell-tale sign of a healthy tongue.

The significance of brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing in between the teeth is emphasized much, but the importance of cleaning the tongue is often overlooked. It does not matter how diligently you brush your teeth, you cannot get rid of bad breath unless your tongue is clean. Cleaning your tongue can aid in the removal of bacteria that is responsible for bad breath. An unclean tongue harbors a large number of germs that are trapped in a protective biofilm. This can give rise to a lot of dental problems including plaque and tartar buildup, tooth decay or gum disease.

Six critical reasons why a clean tongue is so important

Cleaning your tongue increases your tasting ability: An unclean tongue is laced with bacterial plaque affecting the thousands of taste buds making them less functional. When this happens, you are unable to fully pick up the taste of food. You are better to discern foods that are sweet, salty, bitter and sour.

Cleaning increases the appearance of your tongue: When your tongue is coated with germs, it appears to have a white film over it. Scraping this film with a tongue cleaner will enhance the appearance of the tongue and boost your confidence.

Cleaning your tongue reduces bacterial load: Bacteria are the main culprits for most dental diseases such as plaque, bad breath, tooth decay or gingivitis. Studies show that regular scraping of the tongue reduces the multiplication of bacteria like Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli inside the mouth.

 

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