Tongue scraping is a simple wellness routine that can change your oral health and life. It allows you to quickly and easily remove food particles and other debris from the tongue’s surface, which helps prevent bad breath and other oral issues. Tongue scraping is done using a small, rounded metallic or plastic tool with rubber handles.
Although scraping is not a substitute for proper and regular tooth brushing, or a replacement for professional tooth cleaning, adding this Ayurvedic practice to your morning and evening, dental cleaning routine provides a myriad of benefits. According to Ayurveda teachings (a traditional Hindu medicine system dating back thousands of years), the tongue determines your body/mind type (doshas) and indicates the state of your health. So, scraping is necessary to remove bacteria, fungi, food debris, dead cells, and other toxins from the surface of the tongue.
While sleeping at night, your digestive system continues working while removing toxic substances from your body, some of which are deposited on the surface of your tongue. Since there is less saliva secretion during sleep, food particles, bacteria, and plaque may cause tooth damage. Dental professionals recommend removing these harmful substances first thing in the morning to ensure the optimal health of your teeth, gums, and oral cavity.
Scraping away the debris reduces the risk of these substances being reabsorbed by the body and causing harm. As such, scraping also enhances the function of your immune system. Regularly brushing your teeth, flossing, and gargling with water or mouthwash helps improve your oral and overall health.
The benefits of tongue scraping include:
While tongue scraping offers many benefits, it’s important that you visit a dental professional if you’re suffering from bad breath and other oral issues. Moreover, you should be consistent in your oral hygiene efforts by using the right tongue scraper at least once a day to enjoy the benefits.
It’s simple to adhere to tongue scraping first thing each morning, as it takes less than 2 minutes. So, while standing in front of a mirror:
Stay focused when scraping to keep your tongue relaxed while pulling the scraping tool gently. Using a scraper is more effective than brushing your tongue with a toothbrush. In fact, some researchers have found that tongue scrapers are 30 percent more effective than a soft-bristled toothbrush for removing volatile sulfur compounds. Fortunately, tongue scrapers are inexpensive and readily available at most drug stores and health food stores, as well as online.
Tongue scraping instruments are made from different materials, including copper, tin, silver, gold, brass, and plastic. Copper is considered the best material because it’s toxic to the bad bacteria in your mouth, plus it provides vital enzymes that promote the survival of good bacteria and other important microbes in your mouth. Silver and stainless steel are also preferred materials for the tongue scraper material.
Tongue scraping should be done by everyone. That said, your dentist may notice some problems during your routine examination and tooth cleaning, thus recommending tooth scraping to manage the symptoms. For instance, smokers and people with bad breath (halitosis), those suffering from fungal growth (brown hairy tongue), and people who consume pungent or strongly odoured foods can benefit greatly from tongue scraping.
Please visit Oakville Place Dental to learn more about tongue scraping and how it can help to enhance your oral health.