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You know the basics that the American Dental Association recommends for good oral health. Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day and floss everyday. Ideally, oral rinse and go to your dentist for a regular cleaning. And if you’re really serious, oil pull.
BUT what you may not have ever been advised to do is scrape your tongue!
Let me explain.
Your tongue is full of bacteria
Your mouth has about 20 billion microbes in it at any given time. This is comprised of gram-positive bacteria found in plaque and gram-negative bacteria that live in the crevices of your tongue.
Some bacteria in your mouth is beneficial and protects you from foreign organisms that can cause infection.
But other bacteria can lead to unwanted side effects.
Bad bacteria buildup
Gram-negative bacteria in your mouth are anaerobic bacteria, which means that they do not need oxygen to survive. These harmful bacteria can live anywhere in your mouth, not just the surfaces of your tongue.
These compounds feed off of food particles and release volatile sulfur compounds, the main contributor of bad breath.
Saliva helps to neutralize bacterial acids and limit bacteria growth. Thus, being dehydrated can also contribute to bad breath because of the decrease in saliva production.
What does a healthy tongue look like?
A healthy tongue will be a light shade of pink and plump.
Occasionally, you may see a layer of white on the top of your tongue. A coated tongue is just a mix of bacteria, dead cells, and food debris that can be easily removed by brushing your tongue or using a tongue scraper.
Your tongue should not have any red, yellow or white discoloration. It should also not be black or hairy.
Leukoplakia is white patches that develop on the surface of your tongue, gums, inside of your cheeks and bottom of your mouth. Although most are noncancerous, some can be a sign of oral cancer.
When should I see a dentist?
The bacteria that is causing bad breath is not usually harmful by itself, but bad breath can be associated with other more serious diseases.
One of the symptoms of gum disease, otherwise known as periodontitis, is bad breath.
If your bad breath is accompanied by swollen or bleeding gums, tooth decay, painful chewing, or loose teeth, it may be a good idea to visit your dentist.
How often should you clean your tongue?
For best results, you’ll want to clean your tongue once or twice a day after you brush your teeth. I love having a clean tongue, so I try my best to do this on a daily basis.
Do I need a special tongue cleaner?
I personally like to use a tongue scraper because I find it really satisfying to watch the bacteria fall into the sink.
I purchased mine from Amazon, and it came with two in a pack. Both tongue scrapers come in a really nice opaque travel pack and are made with 100% copper.
Copper is an antimicrobial metal known to kill 99.9% of microorganisms within two hours of contact, making it a great material for a tongue scraper!
There are also tongue brushes specifically designed for scraping.
If you don’t want to purchase a tongue scraper, you can use the bristles on your toothbrush to clean your tongue. And since the bacteria on your teeth is the same bacteria as the ones that live on your tongue, you won’t need to have a separate toothbrush.
How do you brush your tongue?
The first thing you need to do is stick out your tongue. You’ll want to start from the back of the tongue and work your tool of choice forward to the tip of your tongue.
Use gentle pressure so that you don’t cut yourself.
Rinse the bacteria off with warm water and spit out anything you collected. This is important so that you don’t redeposit all the bacteria you worked hard to scrape off.
Repeat the process until there is nothing left to scrape off. Usually, this is about 5-6 strokes from the back portion of your tongue to the tip.
Does scraping your tongue hurt?
Scraping your tongue does NOT hurt and is a well-known Ayurvedic self-care practice.
This practice is also great to do with children to develop healthy oral habits. Just make sure that they are supervised when they are scraping their tongues.
Tongue scrapers vs. mouthwash
Think of mouthwash like an antibiotic for your mouth-you may be killing the bad bacteria, but you could also be killing the good bacteria with it.
It’s also not a guarantee that your mouthwash is even killing anything. It may just be masking your bad breath.
Scraping your tongue ensures that you are actually removing all the debris.
What is the gag reflex?
The gag reflex is also known as the pharyngeal reflex.
When an object touches the roof of your mouth, the back of your tongue, or around your tonsils, your body’s gag reflex is activated. This is to help prevent us from choking.
Vomiting is part of the gag reflex, and helps us to get rid of foreign objects in our throat.
Babies have a really sensitive gag reflex that starts to relax around the time they transition to solid foods.
How do I avoid gagging when I brush my tongue?
Some people have a really strong gag reflex that makes brushing their tongue a pretty unenjoyable experience.
If you’re looking to avoid gagging or throwing up, try these helpful tips:
- Start from the middle of your tongue-If you have never scraped your tongue before and are worried about gagging, start from the middle. As you get used to the sensation, you can go further and further back each time.
- Get a tongue scraper-Tongue scrapers are U-shaped and thinner than a toothbrush. When you glide the tongue scraper across your tongue, the bacteria collects in the divet of the tongue scraper, which helps for better removal and less gagging. In fact, tongue scrapers have been shown to remove up to 75% of bacteria, compared to a toothbrush that can only remove up to 45%.
- Turn your toothbrush-Sometimes turning your toothbrush sideways can help you gain more control of your motions.
- Hum-Kind of like how you say “Ahh” when you stick your tongue out at the doctor’s office, humming can help distract you.
- Breathe through your nose– Tongue scraping and breathing through your mouth can cause you to gag. Instead, try to take short breaths through your nose.
- Test out scraping during different times of the day– Some people find that their gagging reflex is triggered more easily if they scrape after a big meal. You may want to try scraping your tongue in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Make a fist-The Hegu point is the soft point between your thumb and index finger. Pressing down on it helps to dull the gag reflex. Simply make a fist with your thumb tucked in while you scrape your tongue.
- Use floss-If all else fails, you can try scraping your tongue with dental floss. Dental floss can be easily dragged across the tongue. It may not be as effective, but it is a great stepping stone if you are new to tongue scraping.
Conclusion
Everyone wants a clean mouth. Establishing a good oral hygiene routine is important for maintaining proper oral health and good overall health.
Tongue scraping is definitely a step you should consider adding if you haven’t done so already!
I love a good tongue cleaning, and I guarantee you will too.
If you liked this post, be sure to check out my post on removing tartar!
Now I’d Like To Hear From You!
Do you scrape your tongue on a regular basis?
What tools do you use in your oral care lineup?
Let me know by leaving me a comment down below!
Sources:
https://aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13756-018-0456-4
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15341360/
