Does Your Mouth Benefit from Using a Tongue Scraper?
Posted on 9/6/2021 by Office - Boone DMD
We will be the first to admit that using a tongue scraper sounds like an excessive step to your daily oral hygiene routine. However, let us help you understand why we may suggest you start to use one.
You Need a Tongue Scraper
A tongue scraper is a small plastic gadget used to scrape the surface of your tongue. The goal of using a tongue scraper is to clean the surface of the tongue and remove bad bacteria.
The surface of your tongue is not smooth, so it naturally collects bacteria and minuscule fragments of leftover food. These need to be removed so that less bacteria is present in your mouth. Less bacteria in your mouth means a lower chance of tooth decay. In addition, by using a tongue scraper, you can heighten your sensitivity to taste. It only makes sense that removing bacteria and food debris would make way for your taste buds to experience more of the delight of the foods you eat. Lastly, by removing bad bacteria from the surface of your tongue, you will enjoy fresher breath for longer periods of the day.
Your Oral Hygiene Routine
You can easily add tongue scraping into your daily oral hygiene routine. We suggest our patients brush their teeth twice a day. Each brushing session should be about two minutes long, gently brushing each surface area of each tooth. We also suggest flossing once a day and cleaning your tongue every day as well. While you can use your toothbrush to brush your tongue, a tooth scraper is specifically designed to clean your tongue. Give us a call to set up your next dental cleaning and exam. We can talk about the benefits of tongue scrapers as well as answer all of your dental questions.
We will be the first to admit that using a tongue scraper sounds like an excessive step to your daily oral hygiene routine. However, let us help you understand why we may suggest you start to use one.