Tongue Scrapers

Maintaining oral health is not just about brushing and flossing. Cleaning the tongue is also one of the essential components of good oral hygiene practices. Tongue cleaners or tongue scrapers are considered effective for removing debris, but they can never replace brushing and flossing. Some individuals prefer regular toothbrushes to clean their tongues.

Tongue scrapers or tongue cleaners are basic dental hygiene tools used to clean the tongue's surface from food debris, germs, and dead cells. Usually, it is only a thin, flat, slightly curved piece of plastic, silicone, or metal with a handle for easy handling.

Benefits of Tongue Scrapers

Tongue scrapers remove bacteria and dead cells from the tongue surface and have a good impact on oral health.

1. Importance of Oral Hygiene

Tongue scrapers reduce bacteria from the mouth, preventing gum diseases, cavities, and other dental issues.

2. Reduction of Bacteria

Regular use of tongue scraper can reduce the load of bad breath and tooth decay-causing bacteria from the mouth.

3. Fresher Breath

Tongue scrapers cannot replace brushing but are more effective in removing odor-causing bacteria and give fresh breath all day.

Types of Tongue Scrapers

There is no single best tongue scraper available that can suit everyone's mouth. Different types of tongue scrapers are available in the market. So that every individual can choose his tongue scraper as per his unique dental needs.

Brush tongue scraper

It is just like a normal toothbrush, typically having a long handle with short bristles at the tip. These bristles are short and cannot cover the tongue at once.

Plastic tongue scraper

It is a U-shaped or triangular plastic tool with a long shank to hold. It is easy to use plastic tongue scrapers with no major side effects.

Metal tongue scraper

These are U-shaped metal wires that can clean the entire tongue in one go. Copper and stainless steel are commonly used in metal tongue scrapers. Metal tongue scrapers are used for longer times if kept clean.

Silicone tongue scraper

These are soft and flexible tongue scrapers. They are gentle and cause minimal irritation on tongue surfaces. Silicone tongue scrapers are too easy to handle.

How to Use Tongue Scrapers

It is easy to add tongue scraping as part of your routine oral hygiene. Tongue scraping reduces the chances of bad breath. A tongue scraper is used after brushing and flossing your teeth. Steps to use tongue scraper:

• Stick your tongue out and start scraping from the very back of your tongue.
• Run the scraper from back to front two to three times with light pressure.
• Thoroughly rinse your mouth with water and wash the scraper once it is done.

DIY Tongue Scrapers

Some people do not prefer company-made tongue scrapers due to various reasons like allergies to certain materials, medical conditions, severe gag reflexes, or any dental problem. These types of people prefer natural options or kitchen utensils to clean their tongues. Some people prefer to make homemade tongue scrapers with metal wire at home. However, the risk of contamination is high in these types of tongue scrapers.

• Aloe vera juice is considered a natural tongue cleaner. Swishing with one tablespoon of aloe vera juice can remove bacteria from the tongue surface and from the oral cavity.
• A simple kitchen utensil like a spoon can also work as a tongue scraper. You have to be careful while using a spoon on the tongue as heavy pressure can damage taste buds.