Short on time? Here’s a quick summary of this article’s most important points:
- Cleaning the tongue each day helps keep biofilms thin.
- The human body contains a microbial ecosystem.
- The mouth and the body are connected and influence one another.
- Oral bacteria create biofilms. The health-supporting bacteria thrive when biofilms are thin. However, if we allow the biofilm to build and become thick, then it starts supporting disease-causing bacteria that we call ‘thug bugs’.
- Thick tongue biofilm has been linked to higher levels of the inflammatory blood marker known as CRP. Likewise, thin biofilm has been linked to lower levels of CRP.