What Is Tongue Scraping?

Our mouths are filed with bacteria, this isn’t anything new. While some are good
bacteria which are useful to the body, some are not needed. So when doing a
detox, how do you ensure you also detox your mouth as well as the rest of your
body? While maintaining good oral hygiene is definitely a must, sometimes this is
not enough. There are some particles and bacteria which lie below the surface of
the tongue so cannot be removed with simple brushing. The most efficient way to
tackle these is with tongue scraping.
Tongue scraping uses a tool that is slightly rounded, usually made of metal or
plastic.

Main Benefits of Tongue Scraping

As mentioned, your tongue can build up dead cells, bacteria, and debris overtime.
This has a negative impact on your oral health and can even lead to bad breath.
So, what happens when you try tongue scraping? Here are the main benefits:

#1: Remove Bacteria:
According to a 2005 study, doing tongue scraping will prevent your tongue from
building up Mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli bacteria. After using this method
for 7 days, twice a day, these bacteria, which are responsible for dental decay and
bad breath, were reduced.

#2: Improve Your Taste:
Removing excess from your tongue, such as bacteria, frees up your taste buds and
therefore improves you sense of taste. If you are a chef, or just love food, this is a
great way to reconnect with and experience taste on a new level. Post detox it is
important to really savour and understand your food, and a heightened sense of
taste is crucial in this.

#3: Improve Your Tongue’s Appearance:

Lack of tongue scraping can result in the tongue having a white and coated
appearance, which is not normal. This is simply the result of excess of debris that
have accumulated on the surface. Through tongue scraping it will return to its
natural appearance, meaning it is much healthier.

#4: Reduce Bad Breath:
As we already mentioned above, tongue scraping is not a replacement for brushing
your teeth. Nevertheless, it’s the perfect complement to ensure that you have a
good breath through removing any excess bacterial missed by your normal oral
care routine.

#5: Improve Your Overall Health:
Teeth have an enormous influence on your overall health. The bacteria that build
up on the tongue from neglect can spread to the rest of the mouth and affect the
teeth. This can result in long term dental issues from lack of maintenance.

Are There Any Side Effects Of Tongue Scraping?

The only side effect, if we can even call it that, is that when you are tongue
scraping, you may stimulate the gag reflex.
So, you may feel the need to vomit during the process. This can be easily avoided,
however, by not using the scraper too far back on your tongue and therefore not
triggering this reflex.