Joseph R. Gatti, DDS, PA

Concerned about overall health, oral health or just worried
about bad breath? Tongue cleaning on a daily basis is important for all of the aforementioned. The tongue collects an unbelievable number of living and rotting organisms as well as infected mucus, bacterial biofilm and food debris. Numerous studies indicate that up to 90% of halitosis comes from the mouth and about 80% of that comes from tongue debris.

It is important to utilize tongue scraping or tongue cleaning for more than bad breath. One of our biggest concerns is the prevention of dental decay and periodontal disease. Even though you may brush
and floss meticulously, if you don’t clean your tongue, guess where all that bacteria on your tongue goes? You guessed it – right back on your teeth and gums, thereby reinfecting those areas. For the best oral hygiene, tongue cleaning becomes essential. As you are most probably aware, the implications of dental disease go beyond the oral cavity and are a contributing factor to an entire host of systemic diseases. So, whatever you can do to keep your mouth healthy, directly contributes to your overall health.

Brushing your tongue with a standard toothbrush is really not adequate to thoroughly clean your tongue. There are a variety of tongue scrapers readily available on the market. They vary in width, shape, size and material. Some look like a rake, while others are more like a strap. I suppose it is a lot like a toothbrush in that much of the design you like is purely personal preference. My preference is a simple flexible plastic tongue scraper. The good thing is that they are all rather inexpensive and work for a long time.

Using a tongue scraper is very simple. After you floss and
brush, open your mouth wide and fully extend your tongue. Then place the scraper as far back on your tongue as is comfortable the first time and progressively go further during subsequent cleanings. Use gentle strokes. Do this repeatedly until you no longer are able to remove debris. I only take a few seconds. The next time you are at the Studio we will be happy to review the technique with you. Just realize that the significance of the debris on the tongue is enormous and can be very negative. It is easily removed with a tongue scraper and should be done so daily or as often as it accumulates.

You have long heard, “Brush your teeth after every meal,” or “Brush your teeth twice a day.” Is any of this based on fact or is it just something your mother told you to do. Well, there are several answers to why you should brush your teeth multiple times per day and they range from removing stains and food debris, avoiding bad breath, preventing dental disease and other points as well. Ultimately, if prevention of dental disease is one of your primary objectives then brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day becomes very important.

Here is the reason this becomes important for dental health, systemic health and preservation of the great smile. What actually leads to disease in your mouth is Biofilm – the sequential build up of bacteria. This happens in a very predicable pattern. The first bacteria to collect on your teeth are not pathogenic – they do not cause dental disease. However, they do form a “sticky” lattice work for destructive bacteria to build upon. In a free floating state these bacteria cannot cause disease. It is when they become attached to the teeth and gums and are allowed to multiply that they cause destruction. If you are genetically susceptible to periodontal disease, it may then begin to develop.

So, when you put all of this together, the reason for brushing and flossing those areas that are not reachable by brushing is to disrupt the biofilm and prevent colonization of destructive bacteria. When this mechanical debridement is done it forces the biofilm to keep starting over again.

I’m sure you have read much over the last few years about the correlation between multiple systemic diseases and dental health. The inflammation in your mouth due to the development of biofilm is most likely what is contributing to the total inflammatory burden and therefore increases the risk for systemic disease.

I will go over the reason that brushing and flossing before bedtime is the most important time and what type of toothpaste you should use in a future blog. For now, just know that brushing your teeth multiple times per day for better health is not just an old wives tale.

For better health,

Joseph R. Gatti, D.D.S.  and the entire team