Tongue scrapers
Tongue is a muscular organ of the mouth that helps in speech, taste ,swallowing and mastication of food.
Tongue scraping is the process of removing white coating from the surface of tongue.The white coat consists of dead cells and bacteria which can be harmful to your oral health
It can help to keep mouth fresh and healthy and is a good aid for brushing.Some people don’t like tongue scraping and consider it as a tedious job but it is as much beneficial as tooth brushing
There is no benefit of tooth brushing if the harmful bacteria is still present on your tongue .To maintain good oral hygiene you need to remove these organisms from your mouth
I will highlight some of the benefits of tongue scraping:
- Get rid of bad odour- After tongue scraping you will feel fresh breathe as it removes odour producing bacteria and sulphur compounds from your tongue
- Keep away harmful bacteria and help to maintain cleanliness on your tongue surface
- Improve the appearance of your tongue- Appearance tends to improve once the white coat is scrapped off from the tongue
Types of tongue scrapers:
- Metal tongue scrapers
These are available in stainless steel and copper variety.
Copper is known to have antibacterial properties
- Plastic tongue scrapers-Plastic tongue scrapers are available in various structure and colour.It is soft as compared to its metal counterpart
- Toothbrush
Some toothbrushes are designed in a way that their back surface has roughened surface which can help to clean tongue.You can also use soft bristles of toothbrush for cleaning your tongue .
Process of Tongue cleaning
Start your daily oral care routine with tooth brushing, flossing and tongue cleaning
Open your mouth and take your tongue out
Take a tongue scraper and place it on the back of the tongue
Move the tongue scraper from inward to outward in forward direction while scraping out the debris from the tongue
Wash the tongue cleaner thoroughly and repeat the process
Take care not to hurt your tongue by doing it with high pressure
Wash your tongue scraper with soap and warm water and keep it clean in dry place
Problems during tongue scraping
- Gag Reflex- This can be activated if you place too far back on your tongue ,so avoid placing the tongue scraper too much back on the tongue
- Bleeding from the tongue- This can happen if you scrape the tongue with too much pressure especially in case of metal scrapers which are harsh on soft tissues
These problems are negligible as compared to the rewards you get for tongue cleaning.
So, from today onwards- after brushing regularly do tongue cleaning
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