You might be ‘The Hero’ of the Brush-Floss formula, never skipping your oral hygiene routine. But does oral hygiene include only cleaning your teeth?!

The answer is a big ‘NO’. Tongue is a very important part of your oral cavity serving vital functions like swallowing and tasting.

Cleaning your tongue is as important as cleaning your teeth. Now if you say that you rinse your tongue to clean it, you are removing only the most superficial part of biofilm.( Wondering what is biofilm?! Read on to know! )

WHY SHOULD YOU CLEAN YOUR TONGUE?

If you think that your tongue has got an easily cleansable, smooth surface, have a closer look!

The surface of tongue contains numerous hair like projections called ‘papllilae’ along with taste buds and other elevations and depressions. This makes it an ideal home to billions of bacteria dwelling in our oral cavity ( Some good, Some bad! )

These nasty bacterias feed on the leftovers.The bacteria, mixed with food particles and dead skin cells, form a layer over your tongue. This layer is called ‘Biofilm’.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T CLEAN YOUR TONGUE?

• TASTE: Biofilms form a thick layer on tongue which can be so dense so that it can prevent your taste buds from doing their job, leaving you with a dull sense of taste. You might not be able to diffrentiate better beetween bitter, sweet, salt and sour.

• ODOR: These bacterias residing on your tongue are sulphur producing.Sometimes, these bacteria start to break down proteins at a very high rate and odorous volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) are released resulting in bad breath.

• APPEARANCE: If the coating becomes too thick, it may give a white appearance to your tongue.Coffee might make it turn brown and so on.

• ORAL PROBLEMS: This build up on your tongue might increase your risk of cavities and gum disease inspite of your strict brush-floss routine.

WHAT IS THE CORRECT WAY TO CLEAN YOUR TONGUE?

1. Select a tongue scraping instrument. This may be plastic or metal.
2. Stick out your tongue as far as you can.
3. Place your tongue scraper toward the back of your tongue.
4. Press the scraper on your tongue and move it toward the front of your tongue while applying pressure.
5. Run the tongue scraper under warm water to clear any debris and bacteria from the device. Spit out any excess saliva that may have built up during the tongue scraping.
6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 several more times.
7. Clean the tongue scraper and store it for the next use

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND POINTS TO REMEMBER:

• Consistency is the key. It is important to clean your tongue atleast twice a day or as per the requirement. Cleaning ‘once in a blue moon’ is not going to help.
• If you gag during the process, you may want to scrape your tongue before eating breakfast to avoid vomiting.
• If gagging still persists, you might me applying extra pressure. Reduce the pressure and start with the middle of the tongue. Once you are accustomed to the process, you can start from the back of the tongue.
• One to two scrapes across the same area is usually enough. It should be gentle enough to avoid harming your taste buds or breaking the skin, but firm enough to scrape up excess debris.

NOTE : If you accidentally cut the surface of your tongue with the scraper, avoid scrapping until the area completely heals.Make sure your tongue scraper doesn’t have any uneven or rough edges.CONTACT YOUR DENTIST if the problem persists.

TAKING CARE OF THE ENTIRE MOUTH:

• Brush your teeth and gums at least twice a day.
• Make sure you brush for at least two minutes.
• Floss at least once a day to remove tough-to-reach debris between your teeth.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to reduce dry mouth, a common cause of bad breath.
• Avoid using tobacco products, which can contribute to buildup on the tongue.
• You should also see your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings

REMEMBER: If the problem of bad breath still persist, consult your dentist to rule out tooth decay, infections in your mouth, nose, sinuses, or throat, diabetes or side effects of medications.

Maintaining a good bathroom hygiene can save you from the clutches of many germs and viruses.

A good bathroom hygiene should be a habit throughout the year but it becomes more of a concern when droplet infections like COVID-19 are creating a havoc in the entire world.
You can contact the virus very easily simply by touching any surface harbouring it and a good oral hygiene routine can help you protect yourself from such nasty viruses that keep us home.

According to a US study, 60% of the toothbrushes found in communal bathrooms tested positive of faecal coliform bacteria. Also research suggests that COVID-19 is spread through aerosol from the faecal matter generated by toilet flushing which is responsible for 30% of the current cases.

Here are a few practical tips that you can easily follow at your home and keep the virus at bay by minimizing ant type of cross-contamination :

• Sharing is caring, but not in the case of your toothbrush.Sharing of toothbrush is equal to sharing of germs.

• No matter how intimate you are with a person, sharing of your toothbrush is never a good idea even when there is no risk of cross-contamination.
• Don’t store toothbrushes of all the family members together and consider storing them outside the bathroom if possible.

• Wash your hands before and after brushing your teeth.
• Keep your toothbrush in a clean container.
• Make sure that your toothbrush does not contain any residue by rinsing it thoroughly under hot water faucet.
• If you store your toothbrush in a container with a disinfectant or mouthwash, be sure to use a new solution each day.
• Consider using a toothbrush sanitizer if possible.
• Don’t use closed container to store your toothbrushes.
• Store it upright and allow it to dry.
• Do not use caps or covers for your toothbrush as moist environment are more conducive to the growth of unwanted germs than open air.
• Store them vertically with bristles upwards and make sure they are not close to your toilet.

• Consider using an antimicrobial mouthwash before you brush in order to reduce the level of bacteria in your mouth so that you don’t transfer them to your toothbrush.
• Switch out your toothbrush after this coronavirus crisis as toothbrushes act as a breeding ground for micro-organisms and can act as a carrier for re-infection.
• Sanitize your bathroom as often as possible.

With these small considerations we might be able to give a tough fight to this global pandemic and emerge as a stronger, healthier tribe.

Toothache is the last thing you would want in this time when your dentist is available only for emergency treatments. Here are a few tips for prevention of gingivitis and toothache:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day.

• If you can, brush after every meal or at least gargle that frequent.

• Replace your toothbrush time to time, keep one extra toothbrush with you.

• Floss daily.

• Intake of Vitamin C rich food.

• Use a natural mouthwash.

• Refrain from smoking or chewing tobacco.

• Limit sugar intake.