Q: What are some of the roles of the tongue?
A: The tongue is a complex organ that plays a variety of roles in the mouth. For one thing, the tongue is essential to speech. People can speak without teeth, but not without a tongue. The tongue also, with assistance from the nose, gives you your sense of taste. On the upper surface of the tongue, especially along the edges and the back, are your taste buds. Taste buds, by the way, identify just four flavors: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. All other flavors are combinations of those four.
Your tongue impacts your teeth in many ways. The tongue's muscles move food into contact with the teeth so you can chew. The tongue helps with formation of a bolus, or ball, of food for swallowing. The tongue also helps guide erupting teeth into proper position and helps keep them there. Just as your cheeks and lips apply pressure against your teeth from the outside, the tongue applies benign pressure against your teeth from inside. It's also useful in flicking at and dislodging pieces of food that may be left in your mouth after eating. Remember, however, that your tongue is not a substitute for thorough brushing and regular flossing.
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