Do I Need to Scrape My Tongue?

Everyone knows how important it is to brush their teeth, but you rarely hear parents telling their children to scrape their tongue before they go to bed. However, most dentists would tell you this is just as vital to a good oral health regimen as brushing your teeth and flossing.

Tongue-Scraping Defined

There really isn’t anything tricky here. We have all seen the devices available at the local drug store. You can buy an individual device or get an attachment to your water flosser (if you use one). When you scrape your tongue with one of these devices, you are removing food debris, dead cells, toxins, and bacteria from the tongue.

The Benefits of Tongue-Scraping

Reducing Bad Breath – formally known as halitosis, it is both a sign of bad oral hygiene and possibly embarrassing. This problem is usually caused by odor-causing bacteria in the mouth, some of which lands on the tongue.

Better Sense of Taste – when you have excessive buildup on your tongue, it can minimalize the effect of your taste buds. By scraping your tongue regularly, your taste buds are fully exposed, thereby, more effective.

Better Oral and Overall Health – there are numerous health problems associated with bad oral hygiene, so scraping your tongue will not only improve your oral health but also your general health. While brushing your teeth is generally associated with avoiding cavities and gum disease, scraping the tongue will also help avoid these problems.

Better Digestive Health – the digestive process starts the moment food enters the mouth. This is a complex process most of us take for granted, but it is something that can be impacted if there are toxins on the tongue detrimental to the digestive process. Additionally, a clean tongue will produce more saliva, which moistens the food in your mouth and makes digestion easier.

Better Tongue “Appearance” – while you may not admit it openly, everyone has seen a tongue that simply disgusted them. Someone opens their mouth or sticks out their tongue at you and all you can see is a nasty film or buildup on their tongue. That film or buildup is the bacteria, food particles, etc. we mentioned above and yes, it can be quite disgusting.

Not sure how to properly scrape your tongue or which device you should use? If you need to make an appointment with a dentist in Danvers MA, look no further than Hallmark Dental. In addition to Danvers, we also have offices in Salem and Leominster. For more information about our dental services or to make an appointment, click here.