TONGUE SCRAPERS

What’s a tongue scraper?

It is a U-shaped tool used to remove the debris and bad bacteria and clear out the surface of the tongue. This is a complementary practice to brushing, flossing, and mouthwash. Toxins that accumulate due to weak metabolism or digestive problems also show up on the surface of the tongue. If not cleared out, they are absorbed back in the system and can lead to diseases and weak immunity.

BENEFITS OF TONGUE SCRAPING:

• Smoothly Stimulates internal organs. Since the tongue is connected to various organs of the body, scraping it gently activates related organs too.
• Increase your sense of taste. If you don’t regularly clean your tongue, then dead cells, bacteria, and other particles can coat your tongue. This can obscure your tastebuds, making tasting food and beverages more difficult.
• Clearing toxins and bacteria. The immune system gets weak by putting it to work continuously against foreign bodies or bad bacteria, with gradual and consistent building up of toxins. The tongue is the first line of defense in the body. Scraping assists the healthy functioning of this immune system.
• Reduce bad breath. At night while we sleep, bacteria gather in the mouth because the production of saliva is reduced creating bad breath While scrapping your tongue does remove bad breath temporarily, you’re going to need to continue to scrape your tongue after a meal as well as twice a day.
• Promote good digestion. Digestion of food starts in the mouth. Enzymes present in the saliva break food down for easier digestion by the gut. When the taste buds are blocked due to the accumulated mucus on the tongue, the messaging function of their receptors conveying to the brain to activate relevant enzymes required for digestion of the food is impaired.
• Improve the appearance of your tongue. Healthy tongues are pink or dark red in color. If you have white coating your tongue instead, then you’re looking at a lot of build-up of bacteria and dead cells. When you use a tongue scraper, this removes that build-up and returns your tongue to a healthy color.

HOW TO SCRAP YOUR TONGUE?

Tongue scraping should be performed twice a day, once in the morning, and once in the evening. Best after brushing and flossing your teeth.

1. Hold the two ends of the tongue scraper in both hands.

2. Stick out the tongue and place the tongue scraper at the very back of the tongue.

3. Pull the scraper forward gently. Make sure to cover the whole tongue so that it removes the unwanted coating.

4. Rinse the tongue scraper underwater.

Repeat this process 5-7 times, or until no coating is left. Scrape the tongue gently or it may damage the tissue.

TIPS

• Some might experience problems with their gag reflex. One tip is to scrape your tongue before you consume any food. Another is just to avoid going too far back and triggering a gag reflex. Eventually, you’ll train your reflex to recognize the motion and sensation of tongue scraping, so it won’t be triggered as easily
• Rinsing your tongue scraper in hot water or wipe it down with an alcohol swab.
• When you go to buy a tongue scraper, check the edges, they should be smooth and even to avoid cuts on the tongue.
• Rinse the scraper between each scrape to ensure you’re not just re-introducing bacteria back to your tongue.
• Scrape your tongue at least five times. You may also need to adjust where the scraper runs to ensure every inch of your tongue is cleaned off.
• it’s vital that you clean your tongue scraper after every use and store it in a place where it can dry without becoming contaminated.
• Always scrape your tongue after brushing your teeth.
• Rinse your tongue scraper before using it because lack of moisture can cause irritation on the tongue.
• Remember the sides of your tongue, it’s easy to forget but if you want better results you need to scrape all tongue surfaces.
• In the presence of wounds or irritation do not scrape your tongue.

TONGUE SCRAPERS MATERIALS

There are many tongue scrapers materials, the most commons are plastic, copper and stainless steel.

Plastic: they are the cheapest in the market and came in a variety of forms, “U” shape, one or more bars, with small bristles, and in different sizes.

Copper: This is the traditional material used by traditional Ayurvedic medicine and copper has natural antimicrobial properties. With the proper care, they can last for many years.

Stainless steel: There are many options in shapes and sizes, and they last longer in time and have higher corrosion resistance.