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What is Tongue Scraping?

added on: May 19, 2020
tongue closeup

Have you ever heard of someone scraping their tongue? We’re not referring to a dental accident or trauma, we’re actually referring to another step in your at-home dental routine that can help your teeth stay healthy too. Join your Wilmington biological and holistic family dentist in learning more about this technique and how it can benefit your oral health.

What Exactly is a Tongue Scraper?

When you brush your teeth twice daily and floss once, you’re going to help your smile stay healthy and happy. While these are both great and necessary to remove bacteria from your teeth, there can still be harmful bacteria left on your tongue. This can lead to numerous oral health issues.

By using a tongue scraper, you can eliminate the bad bacteria and help your smile even more. A tongue scraper is a flat, U-shaped dental tool that is generally made of either plastic or metal. You use it to scrape over the surface of your tongue with comfort and ease. Say goodbye to bacteria that can negatively affect your oral health.

What are the Benefits of Tongue Scraping?

Tongue scraping is effective at cleaning off the papillae or “hairs” on your tongue. They have a lot of little spaces where bacteria just love to hide and multiply. You can even have plaque and food leftovers trapped in them. This can eventually lead to cavities and even bad breath.

While it’s OK to brush your tongue with your toothbrush, a tongue scraper is going to give you an added advantage to keeping your smile healthy. Using a tongue scraper will also:

  • Give you a cleaner looking and feeling smile
  • Lower your risk for dental disease
  • Do away with bad breath
  • Potentially improve your sense of taste

Scraping your tongue is quick and painless. Simply use your tool and start at the back of your tongue and work your way forward.

When adding tongue scraping to your daily dental hygiene routine, it gives you and your smile an added boost for better health. If you have questions about your oral health or want to know more about tongue scraping, please don’t hesitate to ask your biological and holistic family dentist in Wilmington. We’re here to help!

About The Author
Dr. Lewis Yu

Dr. Lewis Yu, who graduated with a dental degree, completed a two-year postgraduate oral surgery training in New York City and Pennsylvania. Board-certified in Naturopathic Medicine and Integrated Biological Dental Medicine, he practiced in Philadelphia and New Jersey before joining All About Smiles. Dr. Yu is affiliated with the Holistic Dental Association and Talkinternational.com.


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