Tongue scraping: Benefits and techniques
Reading time: 5 mins
‘Should I use a tongue scraper?’ A lot of people know how to brush their teeth properly, but that isn’t always enough to leave you with long-lasting fresh breath. If you’re wondering whether you need to shake up your routine with a good tongue cleaning, chances are you probably should.
Tongue scraping may be centuries old, but it’s a great way to bring a new spin to your oral hygiene.1 Before diving into your first scrape, take the time to learn more about what’s involved and the many benefits it can bring to how to use a tongue scraper alongside your electric toothbrush. Ready to learn? Let’s dive in.
What does tongue scraping do?
Tongue scraping is an ancient practice that's making big waves in the dental hygiene world. Its roots lie in Indian Ayurvedic medicine but it's seeing widespread recognition now in both wellness and dental circles. It’s also super simple to add to your daily dental routine.
But what do tongue scrapers do? Simply put, scraping your tongue tackles the bad bacteria that linger on the surface, making for better oral hygiene in all of your mouth, not just your pearly whites.2 This is particularly effective towards the back of the tongue, which is a spot often missed by even the most efficient of brushers!
Benefits of cleaning: tongue scrapers
Your mouth is a hive of bacteria, both good and bad.3 These bacteria settle into all the nooks and crannies, including between your teeth, in the gum line, and on the surface of your tongue. If you take a brush to your teeth but leave the rest, you’re likely missing a lot of the bacteria hiding in hard-to-reach areas. This can lead to a white tongue, yellow coating or spots of colour on the tongue, which is a result of enlarged papillae (little projections on the tongue) and trapped debris, bacteria, and cells. What do tongue scrapers do? They get rid of this for good. Tongue scraping benefits include getting rid of the discolouration on your tongue’s surface and reducing bad bacteria in the mouth. By scraping away any sneaky debris and cells lingering after you’ve brushed your teeth, you’ll also suffer less from bad breath for that minty fresh feeling all day long.4 The same bacteria that cause bad breath can lead to dental decay, too, and many of the important benefits of tongue cleaner devices tackle this effectively, helping to reduce the risk of cavities and cut down on plaque for cleaner teeth and gums.5
When to use a tongue scraper
If you’re wondering when to use a tongue scraper, the NHS recommend once a day to combat bad breath and other dental concerns.6 This should always be done alongside brushing your teeth to enhance the benefits of tongue cleaner devices. A good electric toothbrush, like the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000, compliments tongue-scraping benefits. With the connected Sonicare app you’ll receive the guidance you need to brush properly, while the built-in pressure sensors encourage brushing that protects teeth and gums. Set yourself up for a thorough clean of your whole mouth, not just your teeth. As with all of our handles (apart from the One and Kid lines), you can pair your electric toothbrush with any of our brush heads. Just attach the brush head and a microchip will instantly recognise your handle, adjusting the settings to suit the unique benefits of your brush head. When using your Philips Toothbrush to clean your tongue, we recommend medium bristles for enhanced bacteria removal. Our G3 Premium Gum brush head and C3 Premium Plaque brush head, for example, remove 10x more plaque compared to manual brushing for a clean, smooth tongue and teeth.
How to use a tongue scraper
We’ve answered ‘What does tongue scraping do?’ and how it can tackle bad breath, but you’ll only see the benefits of cleaning your tongue if you know where to start. Follow these tips on how to use a tongue scraper: If you’re wondering ‘Should I use a tongue scraper more than once?’, it all depends on your tongue’s coating. If it looks clean and free of any white or yellow spots, you don’t need to go over the area again. If you don’t think you got all the bacteria on your first scrape, you can repeat the process a few times for a more thorough clean. It’s best to use your tongue scraper immediately after brushing your teeth. You’ll still have some toothpaste in your mouth and any debris should be nicely loosened, making it easier to get rid of bacteria build up.
Recommended products
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- Medium Soft Bristle
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£29.99* -
- Up to 10x more plaque removal
- Up to 100% whiter teeth
- Medium soft Bristle
- Compatible with all Sonicare handles except Philips One and Kids
£54.00*
Tongue scraping: Good or bad?
Is tongue scraping good for you? Evidence suggests that it is. With benefits to bad breath and reducing harmful bacteria that lead to cavities and dental diseases, the debate of whether tongue scraping is good or bad has been answered by numerous studies.7 But, as with any big change to your dental routine, it’s a good idea to speak to a dentist or oral health professional before taking the plunge. This is particularly true if you’re researching ‘what does tongue scraping do?’ because you’re tackling a dental issue, be it halitosis, gum inflammation, or a dry mouth. If you’re facing a chronic concern, it might be that there’s a deeper underlying problem that needs professional treatment alongside good old-fashioned tongue scraping. For any doubts you have about shaking up your dental care, a trip to the dentist will help ease your mind, too. From asking them ‘Is tongue scraping good for you?’ to learning how to scrape with a professional technique, it’s your best bet for a foolproof oral hygiene routine. Sources:
1 Oral Hygiene, National Library of Medicine
2 Avoiding Infective Endocarditis, NHS Guy’s and St Thomas’
3 Oral Microbiome, Science Direct
4 The Effects of Mechanical Tongue Cleaning, National Library of Medicine
5 The Comparitive Evaluation of Tongue Cleaning, National Library of Medicine
6 Bad Breath, NHS
7 Effects of Mechanical Tongue Cleaning, MDPI
