Does not brushing your tongue when brushing your teeth cause bad breath?
Disease description:
I noticed that I often don't brush my tongue when brushing my teeth. My family members suggest that I should brush my tongue as well, saying it may cause bad breath. So, does not brushing the tongue while brushing teeth lead to bad breath?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Guo Huijie
Not specially cleaning the tongue while brushing teeth may increase the risk of bad breath. The surface of the tongue is not completely smooth but covered with small projections where food debris and bacteria can easily accumulate, forming tongue coating. When bacteria multiply on the tongue coating, they break down food particles and produce volatile sulfur compounds, which are the main cause of bad breath. Therefore, brushing teeth without cleaning the tongue may not thoroughly remove bacteria and odor sources in the mouth. To maintain fresh breath, it is recommended to gently clean the surface of the tongue using the back of the toothbrush or a specialized tongue scraper while brushing teeth, in order to remove tongue coating and bacteria, thus effectively preventing bad breath.
