FIG. 06.01 · TONGUE ATLAS
Papillae, the slower saliva of the night, and morning mouth: a closer look at the surface a toothbrush misses.
Say oral care and most of us think of teeth. Yet one of the largest surfaces in the mouth is the top of the tongue, and it is far more uneven than it feels.
Small ridges called papillae
The top of the tongue is covered in small projections called papillae. The most numerous, the filiform papillae, have more to do with texture than with taste; they give the tongue its faintly velvety look.
Between them, traces of food, shed cells and bacteria can collect. This layer is known as tongue coating. A toothbrush is made for flat surfaces, so it does not always reach into these folds.
What happens overnight
Saliva flow drops noticeably during sleep. Saliva rinses the mouth naturally through the day, so at night that rinsing slows. A drier mouth and different breath in the morning are usually nothing out of the ordinary.
Brushing, rinsing and gently cleaning the surface of the tongue at the start of the day helps clear some of this coating.
What the research says
Research suggests that cleaning the tongue can reduce bad breath for a short time.¹ ²
These findings come mostly from studies with adults and small groups, and the effect is noted to be short-lived. So we describe tongue cleaning not as a treatment, but as a step that completes everyday oral care.
- Outhouse TL, Al-Alawi R, Fedorowicz Z, Keenan JV. Tongue scraping for treating halitosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006; CD005519.
- Van der Sleen MI, Slot DE, Van Trijffel E, Winkel EG, Van der Weijden GA. Effectiveness of mechanical tongue cleaning on breath odour and tongue coating: a systematic review. International Journal of Dental Hygiene 2010; 8(4): 258–268.
For information only. If you have a concern, please speak to your dentist or doctor.