Yes you heard me right, and I don’t mean filthy as in “potty mouth” filthy. Your tongue is covered in small bumps called papillae, which help you to taste and feel textures in your mouth, but it also carries toxins and bacteria. If we don’t scrape away these toxins they will get absorbed into the body and cause all kinds of issues.
Now my self-care routine is pretty minimal, I don’t use a bunch of products, and I try to keep it as simple as possible. With that being said last year I decided to try tongue scraping to see what all the hype was about, and I’m so glad I did. Tongue scraping is something that I will ALWAYS incorporate in my morning/nightly routine, it takes less than 30 seconds, and there are a ton of benefits.
5 Reasons why you HAVE to try scraping your tongue!
Bad Breath.
Even if you rock at oral hygiene, if your skipping the step of tongue scraping you may be suffering from bad breath. Most bad breath comes from the bacteria at the back of your tongue, and brushing your tongue just doesn’t cut it. However, studies have shown that scraping your tongue can significantly reduce the oral bacteria from the crevices of your tongue, resulting in clean fresh breath.
Boost Your Immunity.
Your tongue is the first line of defense when it comes to immunity, so regular tongue scraping prevents toxins from being absorbed in your body and boosts overall immune health.
While there isn’t a ton of research on this subject, I can personally vouch that I haven’t gotten sick since starting tongue scraping. Now whether this is all attributed to tongue scraping or other changes I’ve made over the last year, I can’t say. But this is just another perk to tongue scraping.
Fewer Visits to the Dentist.
Tongue scraping (especially the back part) removes bacteria and toxins that are responsible for plaque build up. Because of this you will have less build up of plaque on your teeth, which will prevent periodontal problems such as tooth decay, loss of teeth, cavities, and gum disease.
Get Rid of Aftertastes, and Really Taste Your Food.
You know that aftertaste you get prior to eating ice cream, or drinking beer or coffee, and brushing your tongue just doesn’t quite get rid of it? Well tongue scraping sure will! Your mouth feels so much cleaner after tongue scraping, and it actually enhances your taste buds. When your tongue is coated in a build up of bacteria, your taste buds are also coated, and you can’t quite experience the delicious taste of food.
Improve Gut Health.
Amazingly, the benefits of tongue scraping go deeper than just your oral hygiene. You may have heard me rant over gut health in the past; well tongue scraping also increases healthy digestion ensuring proper elimination of waste. Because tongue scraping enhances taste buds, and digestion begins with taste, this supports the entire digestive process.
If you have seen a functional medicine doctor or an acupuncturist in the past, you may have noticed they take a look at your tongue to examine your overall health. This is because different parts of the tongue are related to the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, intestines and stomach. A buildup on your tongue will indicate a build up of toxins, which affects these organs including digestion.
Bonus Reason.
If this hasn’t been enough amazing reasons to scrape your tongue, remember it only takes a few seconds. When you see all the nasty gunk coming off your tongue and the clean fresh feeling of your mouth afterward, you will never go back!
There are a ton of different tongue scrapers available, and are inexpensive and can be found at your local drug store. However, stainless steal or copper is preferred over plastic because they are easier to clean. In a pinch, the side of a metal spoon is pretty effective also.
My favorite tongue scraper and the one I personally use is a pure copper tongue cleaner. Copper has been used for centuries because its anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, and it also provides different enzymes that are needed for healthy microbes in your mouth to survive (just another reason to tongue scrape).
Brushing Your Tongue Doesn’t Cut It.
Although cleaning your tongue with a toothbrush is better than not cleaning it at all, using a tongue scraper is WAY more effective. Tongue scrapers remove 30% more gunk from your tongue than the bristles from your toothbrush. A toothbrush is made to give and move around the crevices of your teeth, you need a scraper that’s solid against your spongy tongue.
How to Scrape Your Tongue.
Simply hold the two handles of the scraper, extend the tongue, and place the scraper on the tongue (as far back as comfortable). Gently pull the tongue scraper forward, removing all the gunk buildup. Rinse the scraper and repeat this 3-4 times (or more) till you feel you have removed all the coating.
If you have a sensitive gag reflex like me, remember to relax your tongue and exhale while scraping, it gets easier with practice. A tongue scraper should be used in the morning (preferably on an empty stomach) and before bed.
What are your thoughts on tongue scraping? I would love to hear from you, please comment below! =)
