When you think of the dirtiest parts of the body, you may not think about your mouth. However, when it comes to bacteria, the mouth is incredibly dirty and has hundreds of different types of bacteria living in it at any given moment. These bacteria can produce acids that dissolve your teeth, infect your gums, cause inflammation, and much more. That’s why it’s so important that you brush and floss regularly. Are there any areas you should pay close attention to? There are some parts of the mouth that are dirtier than others.
THE SPACES BETWEEN YOUR TEETH
The spaces in between your teeth can be absolutely filthy if you don’t floss regularly. Your toothbrush simply cannot reach into these spaces, so many bacteria gather here. Food debris can also collect in these spaces, giving the bacteria something to feed upon. The only want to deal with these bacteria is to floss every day. If you’ve started to notice cavities even when you brush twice a day or can’t figure out why you have persistent bad breath, it could be due to the build-up of bacteria between your teeth.
YOUR TONGUE IS ALSO DIRTY
Do you clean your tongue every day? Many people don’t, but they should. The tongue can become very dirty if you don’t brush or scrape it daily. A lot of bacteria collect on your tongue. While many of them are not harmful, a good number of them are. If you don’t clean your tongue regularly, these harmful bacteria can multiply and make their way to other parts of the mouth. Cleaning your tongue doesn’t require any special tools. You can simply use your toothbrush. Run it over the entire surface of your tongue. You don’t need to apply a lot of pressure or use any toothpaste. You can also use a tooth scraper, which is a flat tool designed to clean the tongue, but a toothbrush works just fine. If you have any questions about keeping your tongue clean, give us a call. We’re happy to answer them.