What is tongue scraping?
Tongue scraping is a process where you drag a tool from the back of your tongue to the front to remove small particles and bacteria. Tongue scrapers can benefit your health and help you get that squeaky clean feel, but they can also damage your taste buds if you’re not careful.
Tongue scrapers can benefit your health and help you get that squeaky clean feel, but they can also damage your taste buds if you’re not careful.
So, is it bad to scrape your tongue? Experts say tongue scraping has some benefits, but it’s up to you whether you want to do it.
Tongue scraping is a process where you drag a tool from the back of your tongue to the front to remove small particles and bacteria. There are different sizes and varieties of tongue scrapers. Some are U-shaped devices, and others are small loops with a handle on the end.
What do tongue scrapers help with?
Bacteria, food debris, and dead cells can build up on your tongue and in your mouth. Good oral habits like brushing your teeth and flossing help remove this buildup and are important for keeping your mouth healthy. Tongue scraping is another technique used to help manage bacteria and keep your mouth fresh.
Remove bacteria
Your mouth is full of bacteria. Some of it is friendly bacteria that help build a healthy environment in your mouth, but you also have bacteria that cause gum infections, holes in your teeth called cavities, and bad breath.
Using a tongue scraper can help remove bacteria. One study found that using a tongue scraper twice a day for 7 days significantly removed the bacteria that cause bad breath and cavities.
Of course, a tongue scraper doesn’t permanently get rid of bacteria. As soon as you stop using the scraper or as soon as you eat and drink, the bacteria will begin to grow back. Even by the end of the day. Tongue scraping is like brushing your teeth. Bacteria will keep coming back, so you have to keep cleaning your mouth and teeth every day.
Freshen breath
Certain kinds of bacteria live on the back of your tongue and feed off fatty acids or protein. They release sulfur compounds that make your breath smell and taste bad. Scraping your tongue and brushing your cheeks and the roof of your mouth can help freshen your breath.
Some people have a condition called halitosis, which causes chronic bad breath. It’s more than just morning breath, and the usual brushing and mouthwash don’t help. It usually stems from not cleaning your mouth properly and allowing different germs to accumulate, but other conditions like gum infections, dry mouth, and some digestive diseases can also cause chronic bad breath.
Some experts say that tongue scraping doesn’t prevent halitosis because the bacteria just keeps coming back. Others say that tongue scraping is another way to keep your mouth and tongue clean, which can make a difference even if it doesn’t stop it.
Improve taste
A study found that tongue scraping significantly lowered the coating on the tongue after two weeks, which led to a better sense of taste: i.e., a tongue scraper might help you better distinguish between sour, bitter, sweet, and salty sensations.
Improve overall oral health
Getting rid of bacteria and food debris is important for overall mouth health and hygiene. A tongue scraper removes bacteria and particles from your tongue, which can improve your overall mouth health. It can also help improve the appearance of your tongue and give you an extra clean feeling.
Is it bad to scrape your tongue?
Reports suggest that tongue scraping might free bacteria from your tongue that then gets into your bloodstream and causes an infection. One report shows a woman contracted infective endocarditis after tongue scraping. Infective endocarditis occurs when bacteria enter your bloodstream and cause an infection in your heart lining, blood vessel, or heart valve.
This is rare, though. You can also get bacteria in your blood simply from brushing your teeth. In most cases, the bacteria in your blood goes away on its own without causing problems, so it’s likely that tongue scraping isn’t any more of a risk than brushing your teeth.
Cleaning might be of greater risk for people who have irregular heart valves or devices like a pacemaker, but in most cases, there is no harm in using a tongue scraper. As previously stated, adding it to your daily brushing and flossing routine can even help remove some bacteria build-up and make your mouth feel extra clean.
The American Dental Association says that tongue scraping is a personal choice. It’s not necessary to use a tongue scraper, but if you like how tongue scrapers make your mouth feel, add it to your daily routine.
What happens if you use a tongue scraper too hard?
If you press too hard, the tongue scraper can damage your taste buds. If you use the tool correctly with light pressure, though, it shouldn’t hurt or cause any problems.
Make sure your scraper doesn’t have any sharp edges that could cause an injury. If your tongue bleeds, stop using the scraper.
How to use a tongue scraper
Tongue scraping is a simple process. To start, you’ll need to find the right tool. You can often find an inexpensive plastic one at your local pharmacy. You can find copper and stainless steel versions, too.
Next, follow these tongue scraping steps:
- Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste for 2 minutes.
- Follow up with floss and rinse like you normally would.
- Facing a mirror, stick out your tongue and gently place the tongue scraper on the back of your tongue.
- Pull the scraper forward with light pressure.
- Rinse the tongue scraper in warm water.
- Place it back on your tongue and repeat until you’ve scraped your whole tongue. One to two scrapes for each portion of your tongue is enough.
- Wash the tongue scraper with soap and water, then rinse and dry it. Store it somewhere clean and dry, like a case or upright in a toothbrush holder.
- Rinse your mouth with water.
Bottom line
You might try tongue scraping to help your bad breath or remove bacteria, but it shouldn’t be your only practice. The best way to keep good oral health is to brush and floss your teeth twice a day and use fluoride toothpaste.
You should also eat a healthy diet low in sugar and have regular cleanings and check-ups with your dentist to keep plaque off your teeth and gums. If your mouth symptoms get worse or your tongue is sore, talk to your dentist.
