Did You Know That Tongue Cleaners Can Help Prevent Bad Breath?

Submitted By: Darrell Miller
Bad breath is a serious problem, getting in the way of your social interactions. Also called halitosis, it can develop into a chronic condition and may be a symptom of other diseases. Don’t worry, it is not infrequent. As a matter of fact, it accounts for a significant fraction of visits to the dentist. Modifying your oral hygiene practices, such as using tongue cleaner, is important when you think that you have bad breath, and a trip to the dentist is highly recommended if bad breath still persists after.

Known Causes

It is generally accepted that most cases of halitosis directly involve the tongue and the neighboring tissues. The tongue plays host to millions of microorganisms, and bacteria lead the pack in giving off the fetid smell in the mouth. The human body has very efficient defense mechanisms that counter invasive bacteria in the mouth, the release of saliva, for instance. Sometimes food particles and related debris collect in our mouth especially when we don’t give enough attention to proper oral hygiene, encouraging bacterial activities such as producing chemical compounds that emit all sorts of foul gases.

Saliva aids in ridding your mouth of unwanted food deposits, and in the process fight off bacteria feeding on these traces of foods. Decreased levels of saliva causes dry mouth, giving rise to proliferation of bacteria. Take for example: at night when we are asleep the absence of saliva is the reason why we have a slightly unpleasant odor on the breath the morning after.

The back of the tongue is a particularly hospitable niche for anaerobic bacteria in the mouth in that it is drier in comparison with other parts of the tongue. Also, this part is frequently left out when brushing our teeth, resulting in the buildup of a combination of food remnants, dead cells, and bacteria. It should also be noted that the same bacteria creates plaque on our teeth and significantly contributes to tooth decay and periodontal diseases.

Not all cases of bad breath are attributed to tongue bacteria though. Bad breath is also associated with sinus infections, tonsillitis, and systematic diseases, such as liver failure, lung infections, and diabetes mellitus, among others.

Oral Hygiene

You would have understood by now an optimum oral hygiene helps in removing bad breath, but you may not have realized as yet that the use of a tongue cleaner rids your mouth of up to 500 different types of bacteria. The back of the tongue appears convoluted, making it ideal for the aggregation of bacteria and difficult to clean at the same time. Scraping your tongue with a toothbrush may lead to irritating and damaging the tissues, and the bristles just cast the bacteria everywhere else in the mouth. There’s a reason why it’s called a tongue cleaner: it was developed to remove unwanted debris sticking to the tongue. Furthermore, studies show a link between the use of a tongue cleaner and the decrease in bad breath.

Look for quality durable tongue cleaners at your local or internet vitamin store. Always choose name brands to ensure durability.