Hey there, viewers! Have you ever wondered what your breath smells like to others? Just
take a spoon and drag it over your tongues’ surface. It’s pretty gross, but it works.
This is called tongue scraping, and it performs several functions. Let’s talk
about them in today’s video. What’s the best way to clean your tongue? Is it a toothbrush,
tongue scraper, or a spoon? Let’s get into it, shall we?
Stick out your tongue and have a look in the
mirror. The tongue is supposed to be naturally pink and moist.
But if you have a layer of white coating over the surface, it's time to rethink your oral
hygiene routine. For those who are unhealthy, this layer can be brown, grey and even green.
What color is the surface of your tongue? Take a closer look, and sound off in the comments below.
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Observing closely, you may find the white layer towards the back of your tongue. The
tip of the tongue is usually clear. This is because it helps you speak and swallow,
and always comes in contact with your teeth, and the roof of your
mouth. This creates friction and naturally cleanses out anything stuck to the tip.
But the back part of your tongue is stable and doesn’t do as much work.
This allows all kinds of gross stuff to collect on its surface.
But what exactly is this gross stuff?
The white coating on your tongue is the undigested food that sits long enough
for the bacteria to rot. Just imagine the leftovers from your meal sitting on your
tongue for days on end. Pretty nasty, right? This is why you need to clean it off yourself.
The majority of your mouth’s bacteria is found on the tongue. They’re responsible for the bad odor,
poor digestion, and cavities. This bacteria settles on the back of your tongue.
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So how can you clean this gunk off?
Tongue brushing
You don't need to buy special tools for this. It’s pretty simple.
Soften the bristles of your toothbrush to reduce their harshness on the surface of
your tongue. Inspect your tongue carefully in the mirror so you can spot the white
coating. Start from the rearmost area of the tongue, and use gentle but firm brush strokes.
Being too rough on your tongue can lead to irritation and bleeding. You won't be
able to get rid of it all at once. Be patient and repeat the process until
the white is gone. Rinse your brush off with running water. Feel free to use a
dab of toothpaste, or dip your brush in mouthwash to freshen your breath.
Scrapers
These are inverted ‘U' shaped devices with handles at both ends. The tongue scraping
tool comes in copper, plastic, and stainless steel varieties. You can find them at your local store.
The good thing about scrapers is they don’t make you gag. It can clean your
tongue without going too far down your throat.
The downside of scrapers is that they don’t clean the microscopic crevices
in your tongue. These are known as the grooves. You’re much better off
doing this with a toothbrush. There’s also another option...
Spoons
Just get a regular spoon from your kitchen drawer. The smaller the spoon,
the better the cleaning will be. Moisten the spoon before you start
scraping so it’s easier to wash the debris off when you’re done.
Hold it upside down and visually mark the area that needs to be cleaned. Drag your spoon gently
from the back to the front of your tongue. Make sure you're being gentle and have steady contact.
Wash the debris off. If it won’t come off, rinse the spoon again and keep trying. You can safely do
this up to 14 times without causing any harm to your tongue papillae. Once it’s all off,
rinse your mouth. Give this a try before going to the store and buying a special scraping device.
As long as we’re on the topic of spoons, here’s something that might interest you.
Here’s what half a tablespoon of olive oil can do to your body.
Now back to our discussion on tongue scraping...
Cleaners
The tongue cleaners incorporate elements from both a brush and a scraper.
There are a million designs to choose from, but a small tongue cleaner works best. It
will have rows of rubber bristles followed by blades used for scraping. Its design is
perfect for breaking the white coating as well as the debris from the grooves
of your tongue. This is by far the easiest and most effective method of tongue cleaning.
So why should you never skip scraping your tongue?
1. Makes you taste food better
Your tongue is coated with taste buds. This helps you to know if your food is salty,
sour, sweet or bitter. Layers of debris clog the taste buds, making your sense of taste
worse. It might even cause you to put more salt or extra sugar in your food to increase
the taste. A good scrubbing will clean the gunk off and rejuvenate your taste buds.
2. Helps your tongue look better
Color is the best indicator of a healthy tongue. Your tongue is not really clean
unless the entire thing is pink. The only way to get it to this point is by scraping it.
Who really wants a white tongue? Not only is it unhealthy, it’s also gross looking.
3. Removes bacteria
In order for our bodies to function, there needs to be a balance in both good and bad bacteria. If
the number of bad bacteria increases, your oral health may be in danger. Research has
shown that scraping twice a day for a week reduces the bad bacteria in your mouth.
If you want to avoid tooth decay, give tongue scraping a try.
4. Improves your immunity
Your mouth is an indicator of your overall health. This is why doctors
always check your tongue when you go in for a checkup. Excellent tongue health will not
only safeguard you from gum problems, but also from throat infections, cold and flu.
5. Bad breath
Getting rid of bacteria not only protects your teeth from rotting,
but also from bad breath. A study showed that tongue scraping reduces the
number of odor-causing bacteria. A lower bacterial count means a cleaner tongue.
So are there any side effects?
1. Gag reflex
We talked about this a second ago. If you have a strong gag reflex,
scraping your tongue from far behind will make you throw up. You can start slowly
by scraping the middle of your tongue. Once you get the hang of it, clean the farthest
portion very slowly. It's only a matter of time before you get used to the sensation.
2. Cuts
It’s possible to cut your tongue during this process. Don't panic. Injuries in your
mouth heal rapidly. Just make sure you avoid eating hot and spicy food while it’s healing.
Also examine the rough edges of your scraper,
and make sure it's still safe to use for the next time.
3. Harm the taste buds
Too much pressure can break the skin of your tongue and harm your taste buds. If
you’re not sure of how much pressure to apply while scraping, start with the soft hand and
gradually go harder. You don't want to miss out on tasting that awesome food.
Want the best possible results? Try complementing your tongue scraping routine with the following...
Use anti-micro bacterial mouthwash to chemically cleanse your tongue and mouth.
Tongue scraping can only physically clean bigger particles. A mouthwash
will chemically disinfect your mouth as it easily reaches all the grooves of your tongue.
Just as you don't share your toothbrush with anybody,
make sure your tongue scraper remains your exclusive tool. This is for hygienic purposes,
and to avoid cross-contamination of bacteria from one mouth to another.
Brushing and flossing should follow your tongue
cleaning routine. The importance of these steps cannot be stressed more.
Drink lots of water throughout the day. It will naturally flush out all
the bacteria stuck on your tongue. Not only does this help protect you from bad breath,
you’re also less likely to get dry mouth.
You should also stop smoking. Not just for the sake of your lungs,
but also your mouth! Tobacco products can make your tongue look gross. Avoid them at all costs.
Keep in mind that tobacco is not the only product
that causes cancer. It's important to catch these body signs early.
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple disease-related videos, shall we?
Here are 8 common cancer signs that are almost always ignored.
Or watch 12 cancer-causing foods you should stop eating.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to become
healthier. How do you keep your tongue healthy? Let us know in the comments below.