5 Things That Happen When You Don't Brush Your Tongue
While it may be common practice to brush
your teeth twice a day, and floss regularly before going to sleep, how
many people take the time to brush their tongues too? As it turns out,
it may be high time that you give your oral health habits an upgrade.
Not convinced? Did you know that 700
different bacteria species live in the mouth? While not all of these
microbes are harmful, when the bad ones set up shop and multiply, or
small bumps surface on the tongue, they can cause some real damage. Your
tongue can be seen as a bacteria sponge spreading bad bacteria
throughout the mouth, causing problems and disease. Here are some
possible conditions you may encounter:
1. Halitosis
One of the main problems you may encounter
with not brushing your tongue is bad breath. The bacteria on your tongue
will give off a foul smell. They tend to lurk at the back of the mouth,
so brush your tongue to get rid of the bad breath.
2. Duller taste buds
2. Duller taste buds
If you don't brush your tongue you may
notice a nasty coating of bacteria, food particles and dead skin cells
called a biofilm, that can cover up your taste buds. To get your taste
buds going again, use a tongue scraper, removing the biofilm.
3. Black hairy tongue
As strange as it may sound, black hairy
tongue is a condition that arises when the papillae on your tongue get
strained from leftover food or drink particles. As the particles are
never brushed away it gives the tongue a dark, furry appearance. While
harmless, once you start tongue brushing, it should disappear.
4. Yeast infectionKnown as oral thrush, this tends to happen
when the bacteria levels in your mouth get out of control, usually due
to not brushing your tongue. As a result, yeast tends to grow out of
control, resulting in white patches on the tongue. While an antifungal
medication can cure it, regular tongue brushing should keep it at bay.
5. Periodontal disease
5. Periodontal disease
Bacterial buildup on your tongue can spread
to your teeth, causing gingivitis, or red, inflamed gums. If left
untreated, the inflammation can advance to periodontal disease, where
the gums pull away from the teeth and the space between the gums becomes
infected. This may cause your teeth to fall out. Furthermore, chronic
inflammation caused by periodontal disease is linked to a higher risk of
heart attack, stroke and miscarriage.