You know the importance of brushing your teeth, but did you know your tongue needs just as much caring? Keep reading to learn more about the importance of tongue health.

Importance of tongue health

Importance of tongue health

Know Your Tongue

Your tongue is a moveable organ consisting of muscles, nerves, mucus, and papillae. [1]

It can be divided into three sections:

  • Tip and sides: The main moving parts
  • Back: The sensory part with nerves and taste buds
  • Base: The section connected to the floor of the mouth

How Does the Tongue Work?

Your tongue functions by moving around in your mouth.

Its free movements keep your airways open. Plus, they help you chew food, swallow, and make sounds. [2]

These movements also massage the glands underneath the tongue to produce saliva.

The Importance of Tongue Health

Keeping your tongue healthy is crucial for talking, chewing, swallowing, breathing, and enjoying what you eat.

If you don’t brush your tongue properly, you allow numerous bacteria to live on its surface freely.

While some of these bacteria are good, most of them cause damage. So eliminating them is crucial. [3]

How to Keep Your Tongue Healthy?

Do the following to keep your tongue healthy:

✅ Clean your Tongue Regularly

Brush your tongue with a toothbrush or clean it with a scraper to remove bacteria that cause bad breath.

✅ Quit Smoking

Smoking flattens your tongue’s papillae, destroys your taste buds, and causes oral cancer. [4] So quit now.

✅ Drink More Water and Green Tea

The importance of tongue health is also in saliva production.

Dehydration prevents that, causing dry mouth and bad breath. [5]

So drink more water and green tea.

✅ Follow a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet nourishes your tongue from within.

So try eating good foods for a healthy tongue, like leafy greens and seafood.

✅ Visit a Dentist Regularly

Regular visits to the dentist for examinations and cleanings are crucial to keeping your tongue healthy.

Keep Your Tongue Health with DentaVacation

Now that you know the importance of tongue health, it’s time to pay attention to it.

If you’re looking for experienced dentists you can trust, we can help you.

At DentaVacation, we partner with the best clinic worldwide to offer high-quality treatments at affordable prices.

With us, you can fix your teeth while enjoying a nice vacation. So contact us now and start packing a suitcase!

FAQs

Five of the most notable functions of the tongue are: [6]

  • Tasting
  • Licking
  • Speaking
  • Breathing
  • Swallowing

Considering the importance of tongue health, you should keep an eye on its appearance.

A pink tongue is an indication of health. Any deviation from that may be a cause for concern.

Some indications of an unhealthy tongue are:

  • Red tongue: Sign of fever or vitamin deficiency
  • Purple tongue: Sign of heart problems or poor blood circulation
  • Grey tongue: Sign of digestive issues or ulcers
Source: Healthline [7]

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