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What is a tongue Scraper?
A tongue scraper (also called a tongue cleaner or tongue brush) is an oral hygiene device specially designed to clean the coating on the upper surface of the tongue.
The large surface area is anatomical features of the tongue that promote tongue coating by retaining microorganisms and oral debris consisting of food, saliva, and dead epithelial cells. A tongue scraper is done less often than tooth brushing, flossing, and using the correct mouthwash.
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| Source: Amazon |
In addition, to using a toothbrush to clean your teeth, you can improve your mouth's oral hygiene by using a tongue scraper. Millions of bacteria collect on your tongue, and simply brushing your teeth doesn't remove all those bacteria. Tongue scraper we also help to remove bacteria produce. Bacteria in the mouth produce volatile sulfur compounds, which can cause bad breath. The bacteria may also have the potential to cause other health issues.
Health effects
Breath
Using a tongue scraper can improve your breath and reduce mouth odor (halitosis), but there is no concrete evidence that the device we eliminate them completely or prevent it.
Dental caries and periodontal disease
People with periodontal disease are more likely to have a thicker tongue coating and a microbial flora that produces more volatile sulfur compounds compared to those who have healthy periodontal tissues. Tongue scraper might help to reduce halitosis, dental caries, and periodontal disease.
Aesthetics
The tongue is normally pink in appearance. But It may acquire a white or colored coating due to diet, reduced salivary flow, reduced oral hygiene or tongue anatomy. The thickness of the tongue coating can also vary. A tongue scraper can reduce this coating to make it cleaner and to help return it to its natural pink color.
Why Use a Tongue Scraper?
One of the main reason responsible for necessitating a tongue scraper is halitosis, commonly known as bad breath. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), bad breath results from a variety of sources including gum disease, a lack of oral hygiene, consuming foods like onions and garlic, tobacco usage and medical disorders like sinusitis and postnasal drip. In a number of those instances, a white coating develops on the tongue. The Mayo Clinic notes that this is a result of a swollen overgrowth of papillae on the tongue's surface from bacteria. The bacteria become lodged between the papillae. A tongue scraper is one method to alleviate any coating lining the tongue.
Types of Tongue Cleaning or scraper Tools
According to Colgate oral care center, Mouths are bacteria breeding grounds. Millions of them can form on the tongue, so it's important to understand how to properly clean it. There are generally three types of cleaning tools used on the tongue: a scraper, a regular toothbrush or a specially designed tongue brush. A scraper can either be a plastic or metal. A tongue brush has bristles similar to a toothbrush but the former is designed to reach the crevices on the tongue.
Using Your Tongue scraper
You can clean your tongue either before or after you brush your teeth; no studies support a particular cleaning order. Your tongue is sensitive, so it's important to be gentle and not to press the cleaner too forcefully into your tongue. Here are a few more general cleaning tips:
- Rinse your tongue scraper before and after using it to remove bacteria and food debris that may be present.
- Start cleaning at the back of your tongue, and work your way forward.
- Scrape and clean the entire top and side surfaces of your tongue, not just the center.
- If you use a tongue brush, move it the same way you moved the tongue scraper from the back of the tongue to the front of the tongue. You may have to use this method a few times in order to adequately clean your entire tongue.
- Rinse the tongue brush or tongue scraper off after you use it to remove bacteria and any food debris from the areas of the tongue you cleaned.
- Rinse your mouth after cleaning your tongue.
Cleaning your tongue may be a new advanced feature for you. Try different methods to find the one that works best for you. A tongue scraper is inexpensive. It improves oral hygiene while helping to prevent bad breath.
If you already brush your mouth and tongue twice a day and floss daily, then you will clearly understand the value of a healthy mouth. But you can always do more. Using the best tongue scraper as part of your daily oral hygiene help a lot. Try the Colgate® 360°® Total® Advanced Floss-Tip Toothbrush
with tongue cleaner for starters. Or other tongue scrapers
that suit you. if you have a kid, your kid can use one too.
with tongue cleaner for starters. Or other tongue scrapers that suit you. if you have a kid, your kid can use one too.Visit your dentist for further questions about tongue scraper and which one is best suited for you.
References
Colgate oral care center. Using a tongue cleaner for a cleaner mouth
https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/bad-breath/using-a-tongue-cleaner-for-a-cleaner-mouth-0214
Wikipedia organization. Tongue Cleaner
Colgate oral care center. Finding the best tongue cleaner
https://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/life-stages/adult-oral-care/article/finding-the-best-tongue-cleaner-1215
Isreal olabanji a dental assistant and public health professionals and has years of experience in assisting the dentist with all sorts of dental issues.
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