6 Great Tongue Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

Grandview Dental | April 16, 2014

When you hear about oral health or dentistry the first thing that usually comes to mind are your teeth. However, the tongue also plays a very important role in your overall oral health. Without it we couldn’t speak, eat or swallow—all vital actions we use throughout the day! So, in honor of the tongue here are 6 fun tongue facts you may not have known

#1

Your tongue has the ability to heal faster than any other part of your body. When you burn your tongue or pierce it it’ll be back to normal in no time.

#2

Almost half of the bacteria that can be found in your mouth is on your tongue. Which is all the more reason to brush your tongue for fresh breath and to keep bacteria at bay.

#3

All along you’ve probably thought those small bumps on your tongue were taste buds—wrong. Those are actually called papillae, which are the hair-like structure on the upper surface of the tongue that give the tongue its rough texture. Taste buds are actually too small to be seen with the naked eye.

#4

The tongue is a special muscle called muscular hydrostatic. This means it can operate without any help from the skeletal structure, like how an elephant’s trunk works.

#5

A great way to take care of your tongue is with a tongue scraper. Using a tongue scraper to clean your tongue is proven to prevent heart attacks, pneumonia, premature births, diabetes, osteoporosis and infertility in men. They are helpful in cleaning bacteria away and keeping it healthy. One positive is that you will notice your fresher breath right away

#6

A slightly creepy fact: Your tongue never stops working. Even when you sleep it is pushing saliva into your throat.

There you have it, six facts that you may have never heard. The tongue is such a vital yet forgotten about organ. Don’t ignore your tongue and be sure to treat it with care! Remember to brush your tongue daily or use a tongue scraper to keep bacteria and tooth decay away.