As a dental blog, we talk a lot about teeth. But your tongue is just as important. Without your tongue, you wouldn’t be able to eat, talk or swallow and food would have no taste since most of your taste buds are located on your tongue.
To show you just how awesome your tongue is, here are a few fun and educational facts about this muscle courtesy of On Health.
- The tongue is on average three inches long.
- There are between 2,000 and 4,000 taste buds located on your tongue.
- Taste buds are not visible. Those little bumps on your tongue that you may have thought were your taste buds? Those are actually papillae, and they are what the taste buds rest on top of.
- The tongue is made up of 8 muscles.
- You have to take care of it. Brushing your tongue just as you would your teeth is a key to proper oral hygiene and should be done at least once daily.
Your tongue can tell you a lot about your health including indications of infections, bacterial overgrowth, vitamin deficiency, and oral cancer. If your tongue is bright red, black and hairy, or has white spots or painful bumps, give us a call at 573-243-5200 to schedule an appointment.