Do tongue scrapers actually help with bad breath?

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Do tongue scrapers actually help with bad breath?

Thanks for asking.

According to the US. Department of Health and Human Services, our mouths host no fewer than 700 species of microbes, including germs like bacteria, fungus and more. Some are helpful in producing vitamins or aiding in digestion, for example, but others can cause problems like bad breath. Because many of these microbes live on the tongue, recent years have seen increased use of oral hygiene devices specifically designed to clean the top of the tongue. One kind is a tongue scraper. Now, in case you've never seen a tongue scraper before, it's kind of like a toothbrush but with a U-shaped head. Other similar variations include tongue cleaners and tongue brushes, each with their own specific head shape. Some people prefer to brush their tongue with their toothbrush, either with or without toothpaste. Regardless of the method, the goal is the same, to promote oral hygiene and to tackle bad breath. But some experts have called in to question the effectiveness of tongue scrapers. What role does saliva play in oral hygiene? It helps balance the mouth's pH and prevents harmful bacteria from sticking to our teeth. We produce about a litre of saliva each day, which helps protect our tooth enamel from damage by sugar and acidic foods. However, certain medications can reduce saliva production and thereby disrupt the oral microbiome. When we're sick, a whitish coating can form on the tongue due to bacterial overgrowth such as during a cold or fever. This is also common in heavy smokers and those who consume a lot of alcohol, sugar, coffee, tea or dairy. In these cases, occasionally scraping the tongue can be beneficial.

And experts say that some people have naturally deeper or wider grooves or significant papillae on their tongues, which are tiny raised protrusions that contain taste buds. They can trap food debris, leading to inflammation and sometimes bad breath. Those people in particular may benefit from using a tongue scraper to remove the debris.

How regularly should I be cleaning my tongue then, if at all? healthline.com suggests that using a tongue scraper twice daily can improve your sense of taste, citing findings from a Belgian study dating back to 2004 But other people argue that overuse of a tongue scraper can damage the papillae and affect your sense of taste. Even using a toothbrush as an alternative can cause micro lesions due to the bristles and disrupt the balance of beneficial bacteria. If you do decide to use a tongue scraper, there are a whole host of tutorials online explaining how to do so. Here's one example coming from a YouTube video by Korean-American dentist Dr. Joyce Kang.

Joyce Kang (4:12)

The biggest mistake I see is that people only brush the tip of the tongue because they're scared to trigger a gag reflex. If possible, try to scrape the very back of the tongue where the odor-causing bacteria hides.

Bababam (4:25)

Just make sure you check the credentials of the source that you're listening to, so you know that you're getting reliable technique advice. There you have it!

Now you know whether tongue scrapers actually help with bad breath. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.