The toothbrush and floss are often the stars of the show, but what do you know about their little sibling, the tongue scraper? Tongue scrapers may not be as essential to oral health as toothbrushes and floss are, but they can be a good rounding-out to your hygiene habits if you’re looking for a method to amp up your dental health.
Tongue scrapers work by getting rid of the acids from your mouth. Left to sit, bacterial acids on your tongue could migrate to the pearly whites and gums, where they can do serious destruction. Eradicating the bacteria on your tongue is like extra credit from Dr. Scott Fellows.
Tongue cleaners come in some different types, the most popular being the tongue scraper. Its strong tip makes it easy to scrape bacterial acids off of your tongue. Tongue brushes are another type, and they are growing in popularity. Although you can brush your tongue with your toothbrush, we wouldn’t suggest it since it’s not as good as brushing with a tongue scraper or tongue brush.
That brings us to another point. Tongue brushing is great extra credit, but it in no way replaces tooth brushing and flossing. The majority of oral disorders affect the chompers and gums, so removing bacteria there should be your priority. Removing bacteria from the tongue should come second to cleaning the teeth and gums.
To use a tongue scraper, place it at the back of your oral cavity and gently pull it forward. Clean the top, sides and bottom of your tongue to thoroughly extricate all bacteria. Clean the scraper before, while and after using it to ensure no leftover bacteria will be placed into your oral cavity again.
Would you like an in-person, step-by-step walkthrough on using tongue scrapers? If so, please call 570-622-0331 now to set up your next checkup in our Pottsville, Pennsylvania, office. Dr. Scott Fellows and our Fellows and Smink Dental Associates team will teach you all you need to understand about tongue cleaning.