The relationship between oral health and overall body health is still emphasized in scientific literature. For instance, the significant influence that dental health can have on health risks like heart disease has been the subject of much research.
It all comes down to balance.
Because of the close connection between your mouth and the rest of your body, anything that occurs in the mouth can also affect every other area of your body. In reality, every individual is a whole ecosystem of human cells and microbes performing a stunning genetic dance. We must take good care of the different microbes that comprise our bodies and prevent them from becoming out of balance if we want to flourish.
How is tongue cleanliness related to this?
Numerous microorganisms reside in the mouth, including on our tongue and in the spaces between our teeth. These microorganisms are normal and healthy. But microbes also contribute to plaque, which can lead to cavities and foul breath.
Plaque, which are microbial biofilms, grows and thickens on our teeth and tongue if we let it remain there. And the trouble begins there.
Although having tiny amounts of bacteria in our mouths is normal and healthy, thick biofilms that form on our tongue and teeth turn into anaerobic (low-oxygen) environments, which makes room for other pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes to thrive. Our immune system may become inflamed as a result of these anaerobic bacteria, impacting parts of our body that extend well beyond our mouth.
In what ways might tongue washing reduce the risk of heart disease and other inflammatory diseases?
In order to introduce new material into our entire GI tract (our digestive system), the tongue is essential. Therefore, it’s critical to keep a thin biofilm on the tongue to prevent constantly harboring and ingesting bacteria that cause inflammation. This implies that we must frequently wash our tongues to prevent the biofilm from growing and starting to have detrimental effects like inflammation.
The reasons why brushing your tongue doesn’t clean it
Although brushing the tongue can be somewhat beneficial, it is simply not as thorough as cleaning the tongue with a scraper. The best way to get rid of the bad bacteria in the mouth is to scrape the tongue.
reasons for foul breath.
Most of the bacteria that cause foul breath reside on the tongue.
Therefore, cleaning your tongue every day will naturally freshen your breath in addition to supporting your “in-the-mouth” and “whole-body” health.