Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Cleaning Your Tongue
• Part 2 of 3: Choosing a tongue scraper
• Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Benefits of a Tongue Scraper
• Tips

Cleaning your tongue is an essential part of oral hygiene as it helps remove excess bacteria and food debris and prevent bad breath. This article will show you how to use a tongue scraper and help you find the most suitable tongue scraper for you. Just read step 1 below to get started.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Cleaning Your Tongue

1. 1 Open your mouth and stick your tongue out a little. This will make your tongue more accessible and easier to brush.
2. 2 Take the tongue scraper by the handle and place it on the back of the tongue. Place the scraper on your tongue as far as possible to avoid gagging. How far you can place the scraper in the mouth depends on the physiological characteristics of each person.
3. 3 Move the scraper from the back to the front of the tongue. During this process, the rough edge of the scraper rubs against the surface of the tongue, removing the plaque that is covering it.
4. 4 Rinse the scraper after each stroke over the tongue. The plaque that you remove from the tongue is pushed to the tip of the tongue with each movement. Therefore, it is advisable to wash the scraper and your tongue after each movement.
5. 5 Never move the scraper in the opposite direction. Always remember to move it from the back of your tongue to the front. If you make movements in both directions, then the plaque that you have already scraped off will come back and all the work done will go to waste.
6. 6 Clean the tongue scraper after each use. This is the same as with a toothbrush, you need to make sure the scraper stays as clean as possible. Keep the tongue scraper clean after each use. You can do this by rinsing with running water after each use.
   • Store it in its packaging in your bathroom medicine cabinet between uses.

Part 2 of 3: Choosing a tongue scraper

1. 1 Choose a toothbrush with a tongue scraper. If you have a heightened gag reflex, then opt for such a toothbrush with a scraper. This kind of scraper is narrower. than standard, non-combined, which makes it optimal for people with heightened gag reflex.
2. 2 Select a Y-shaped tongue scraper. The one-blade tongue scraper cleans the tongue faster than a two-in-one scraper and toothbrush. It has smooth edges and contours that are suitable for cleaning the tongue. If you want to purchase a more efficient tool, then opt for such a scraper.
   • Examples of such brushes include One Drop Only and Colgate 360 ​​°. The scraper portion of a toothbrush is one that has several raised circles. They serve to remove plaque from your tongue.
   • This type of tongue scraper can be easily and seamlessly placed in the oral cavity. Unlike the scraper on a toothbrush, this scraper covers a larger surface area of ​​the tongue, making it more efficient.
   • However, this type of tongue scraper is more likely to induce a gag reflex in sensitive individuals.
3. 3 Use a double-bladed tongue scraper. It is also a Y-shaped scraper, but with an additional horizontal blade, making it a double-sided scraper. The extra blade is designed to make plaque removal faster. It has curved sides designed to prevent the gag reflex.
   • The scraper with two blades cleans the tongue faster and with less effort than the previous two. This is because it has two blades that make cleaning the tongue easier.
   • If you want a tongue scraper to save you a lot of time, then get a double blade scraper.

Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Benefits of a Tongue Scraper

1. 1 Understand that brushing your tongue reduces bad breath. It is caused by the decomposition of bacteria that affect food debris on the tongue and release volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). These LSS produce an unpleasant odor.
2. 2 Be aware that brushing your tongue can remove bad plaque from the surface of your tongue. It appears when bacteria or fungi accumulate on the tongue. This accumulation, like a structure that traps dead cells and food particles, gives rise to plaque on the tongue.
   • Bacterial or fungal colonization occurs when a person's immunity decreases. This occurs primarily during prolonged use of antibiotics or even when a person is addicted to excessive alcohol or smoking.
3. 3 Be aware that poor tongue cleaning can affect your taste experience. An uncleaned or dirty tongue can cause a change in taste as your taste buds become clogged, resulting in a metallic taste. A tongue scraper can help you get rid of this problem.

Tips

• When you are in a rush, you can run the scraper across your tongue three to four times and then wash your mouth and scraper.