What You Need to Know About Tongue Scrapers

While there is a huge focus on brushing your teeth twice a day, most people ignore the need to clean their tongue. Using a tongue scraper can be a very practical thing to do if you want to see some health benefits, however. Your tongue is a breeding site for bacteria, so it's important that you keep your tongue clean.

Buying Your Tongue Scraper

You might have noticed tongue scrapers before while in the dental aisle of your local grocery store, since they are sold with toothbrushes, mouthwashes, and toothpastes. These devices are made from metal or plastic and are very inexpensive. They look like a tiny shovel or resemble a hollowed out U shape. If you're not convinced enough of the benefits that tongue scraping can provide to buy a scraper, you can always use a spoon to get the job done just as well.

Using a Tongue Scraper

A tongue scraper will help remove the residue and toxins left behind on the tongue from all sorts of undigested food. The residue can be green, brown, white, clear, or another odd color depending on what you ate. A good time to use a tongue scraper is when you are brushing your teeth or after you eat a meal.

You simply place the scraper at the back of your tongue and then gently move it forward toward the front of the tongue. It may take a couple passes to remove the bacteria on your tongue. Just rinse the scraper out under hot water when you are finished with each pass. You'll want to rinse off the tongue scraper using warm and soapy water after you are done using it and then dry it off before you place it back into storage.

Benefitting from Tongue Scraping

In addition to removing the bacteria that has collected on your tongue, the scraper will help make your breath fresh. It will give you more confidence because you will know that you don't have any remaining bacteria on your tongue that could be contributing to bad breath. Tongue scraping will also help remove the film that is on the taste buds on your tongue. You may even start to notice that foods taste better.

By using an actual tongue scraper instead of a toothbrush, you will see a more thorough cleaning of your tongue. Bristles on a toothbrush can be staggered and not do as effective of a job as the flat surface of a tongue scraper.

For more information about the benefits of tongue scraping, speak to a dentist. If you are interested in finding a dentist, check it out online. 


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