Your Amazing Tongue

The tongue is a vital part of the human body, it helps us speak, taste and function. Without it we do find those key things nearly impossible. In the past people took things to a whole new level and began getting their tongues pierced. It is important to keep the tongue clean so it is advised by dental professionals to clean the tongue when cleaning your teeth, this will stop any bad bacteria from forming within the area. Sometimes people have reported getting ulcers in the tongue region of the mouth but they can easily treated. The questions some people want answered is, what actually does a tongue do? Do we really need it? In this article we will cover those questions plus more.

What is the tongue’s purpose?

The tongue is known as the muscle organ of the mouth and should constantly be covered with a moist coating keeping it from drying out. The tongue has a rough texture to it, this is called papillae.

The papillae is covered in thousands of taste buds, these allow you to taste anything that enters your mouth. Your tongue plays a vital role in allowing you to chew and swallow your foods and liquids.

You also have your tongue to thank for allowing you to speak, without it you would struggle with this task. Tongues have thousands of nerve ends that transmit signals to the brain, this determines the taste and function. The tongue can also serve its purpose romantically for example, kissing.

Tongue downfalls!

Unfortunately you can catch some infections on your tongue, after all many particles of bad bacteria do pass on the way down. It is highly recorded that many adults have come into contact with Thrush, this is a yeast infection which can be passed on from person to person if they come into direct contact. You can also get thrush from taking steroids or medication antibiotics and people of all ages.

Cancer of the mouth also known as, Oral cancer. This usually appears as a growth or ulcer form on the tongue. People who smoke are at higher risks than non smokers.

Big Tongue also known as Macroglossia. This can come in many forms but some of the main ones include, traumatic and inflammatory.

You can only move your tongue to a certain extent and this is because it is fixed to the floor of your mouth whilst the back of the tongue is fixed to your throat. Giving the tip of the tongue all the freedom. When you close your mouth it fills the entire space up.

We can survive without a tongue, many people in the world do, but if we have a choice, it would be wise to keep it. Without a tongue it is near impossible to eat and swallow food and liquids, communication is set to a minimum and tasting would be a hard task.

It is advised to check your tongue during brushing to make sure it is in top peak health and hydrated properly.