Amazing Facts About Your Tongue

The tongue is one of the most important parts of our mouth, and also one of the most underrated and overlooked organs in the human body. Responsible for many vital functions, the tongue allows us to speak, taste, and swallow foods and liquids while also playing a major role in our oral health and hygiene. Let’s explore some of the abilities and features of this amazing muscle. 

 Get To know Your Tongue

• While the average human tongue measures approximately 3.2 inches, they come in all shapes and sizes. Their print is as unique as our fingerprints and can have varying numbers of taste buds. 
• Tongues have between 2,000 and 4,000 taste buds. Taste buds are sensory organs found on the tongue, soft palate, upper esophagus, cheeks, and epiglottis that allow you to experience sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors. 
• Your tongue can be a great indicator of your overall health. Its appearance, including color and texture, can at times point to different health issues. An unusual color or coating on the tongue can be a symptom of various conditions like nutritional deficiencies, canker sores, infections, diabetes, and cancer. 

• Tongues can harbor hundreds of different strains of bacteria that can create a coating on the surface which causes bath breath and even inflammation. Using a tongue scraper can be a great way to properly clean your tongue and help prevent certain conditions from developing. 

At Smile Every Day, we strive to provide all of our patients with the dental care they deserve. We believe that educating our patients on the best ways to maintain oral hygiene can be beneficial to their overall health. In addition to daily care, it is important to visit your Plantation dentist, Tamarac dentist, or Davie dentist at least twice a year for an oral exam and teeth cleaning to ensure your oral health. 

February 26, 2022