Do I Need to Scrape My Tongue?

As your Gilbert, AZ dentist, we want you to supplement your professional dental care in our offices at home, with great oral hygiene habits. Today, there are all kinds of “goodies” available in the form of oral hygiene tools. You can get motorized toothbrushes to relieve your poor wrists and hands of spending energy brushing, you can get a water flosser (which we actually highly recommend) to replace tape or string floss, and you can even get tongue scrapers. But hey, is scraping the tongue going too far? Let’s find out.

What is Tongue Scraping?

Tongue scraping is the practice of using a small, flat tool to clean the surface of your tongue. This tool is gently dragged from the back to the front of the tongue to remove bacteria, food particles, and dead cells.

Benefits of Tongue Scraping

Many cases of bad breath, or halitosis, are caused by bacteria that accumulate on the tongue. Regularly scraping your tongue can help remove these bacteria, leading to a cleaner mouth and improved breath. Some people find that this simple practice makes their mouth feel significantly cleaner than brushing alone. But that’s subjective.

Is Brushing Your Tongue Enough?

Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush is not always as effective as tongue scraping. Toothbrushes are designed to clean teeth, not the soft tissue of the tongue. A tongue scraper, is specifically designed to clean the tongue’s surface and can more effectively reach the back of the tongue, where bacteria tend to build up.

Do You Need to Scrape Your Tongue?

No, you don’t. But it may help, especially if you struggle with bad breath or notice a buildup on your tongue. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to improve your oral health, scraping your tongue just once or twice a day can make a noticeable difference.

Basically, tongue scraping is an option. If you like doing it, then you should. Otherwise, no judgement. Contact your Gilbert, AZ dentist to learn more about best practices for oral hygiene at home.