When it comes to dental care, there is a wide variety of ways to take care of your teeth.

• You can brush two to three times a day for squeaky clean, pearly whites.
• You can brush two to three times a day, for healthy gums so you don’t lose your teeth.
• Mouthwash is a great way to kill bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

But what else can you do? You might think that doing these three healthy habits every day might be enough. However, dental care requires so much more, with one of those things being brushing your tongue.

Many of us forget, or are unaware of the dangers that can exist on our tongue. However, it’s just as important to make sure that you’re tending to your tongue, for full, overall oral hygiene. Not having a clean tongue not only causes bad breath, but it can cause actual health issues as well. Bacteria sitting on your tongue can end up in your digestive system when consuming food or drink, which can lead to problems in your gut.

Not brushing your tongue can also lead to gum disease and tooth decay. When you don’t take time to completely be rid your mouth of harmful bacteria, it can defeat the purpose of brushing your teeth.

Consider your morning oral care regimen your time for brushing your mouth, not just your teeth. Your gums and your tongue can both use the cleaning every single day. Be sure to keep up with this and get in to your local dentist for a dental cleaning for optimally clean pearly whites.