Things You Need To Know About Tongue Health

Most people only care about health of his teeth only and neglect other parts of the mouth that is not less important, ie the tongue. The tongue is the sense of taste that are important to keep clean

Here are 4 things you need to know to maintain the health of the tongue :

1. The Tongue also Needs to be Cleaned

The tongue has a rough surface because it consists of small bumps called papillae. A study at the University of Michigan's School of Medicine found that one-third of the number of species of bacteria in the mouth, are found on the tongue between the papillae.

Germs that stuck on the tongue can cause bad breath and affect the sense of taste, but it can also spread bacteria to other parts of the mouth such as the teeth. Excessive growth of bacteria can change the color of the tongue becomes yellow, white or even black and looks like a furry.

Get used to thoroughly clean the tongue every time you brush your teeth. You can use a tongue scraper, which is a small tool designed to scrape the tongue, which consists of a variety of shapes and sizes.

2. Some Tongues Need Extra Care

People who have the kind of dry tongue and too rough, it may require extra care when cleaning. Conditions tongue is usually experienced by people who breathe through the mouth or in a drug treatment that makes your mouth dry.

If conditions are too dry and rough tongue, must not brush the tongue cleaner because it may risk damaging the tissue. Try brushing your tongue after cleaning the teeth, while the mouth is still moist. You also can spray moisturizer or gel specifically for the tongue and wait for 10 to 15 minutes before brushing the tongue.

3. The Tongue can also be Affected by Cancer

Cancer can also occur in the mouth that is characterized by changes in the tongue. Check the condition of your tongue once a week regularly in front of the mirror to diagnose oral cancer early.

Check the bottom, top and sides of the tongue and examine whether there are changes in the skin, sores, white or red patches that do not heal after one or two weeks. Visit the dentist regularly every 6 months, the dentist is also able to recognize irregularities on your tongue.

4. Wearing Jewelry in the Tongue would Hurt the Tongue

All body piercing that is placed anywhere in the body has a risk of infection. However, according to the Canadian Dental Association, the risk of infection due to piercing of the tongue is higher because the mouth is full of bacteria.

In addition metal jewelry mounted on the tongue can damage teeth and gums, erode enamel, loosening gums and causing a teeth rift. Even the tongue piercing procedure itself has been known to cause nerve damage, leading to permanent saliva or alter the sense of taste.