I have had several patients ask me over the years about tongue scraping. My response has always been the same. It’s really helpful if you have bad breath. Other than that, I didn’t really see a purpose and who wants to add one more thing to have to do every night? However, I recently listened to a podcast by a fellow Functional Dentist and I was blown away! I am a new believer in the benefits of tongue scraping. In fact, I have bought one for every member of my family, staff members and even patients at my office.
Let me back up and explain why I have changed my opinion on tongue scraping. First of all, think of your tongue as a “shag carpet”. That’s right, get the visual in your head (grossed out yet?). Every time you eat, small food particles and debris get trapped on the surface of your tongue. Our mouths are full of different types of bacteria (both good and bad bacteria). On the top surface of your tongue is where a very beneficial bacteria lives that produces Nitric Oxide (NO) via a pathway that converts nitrates in your diet (leafy greens, arugula, spinach, bananas, etc.) into nitrites and then into Nitric Oxide (mostly in the stomach and bloodstream). You may remember from a previous article that NO is very good for your body. NO is a vasodilator, which means it dilates your blood vessels and allows blood to flow easier. This helps support heart health and can actually lower your blood pressure! NO also plays a role in improving exercise performance and immune function.
Okay, back to tongue scraping. When you tongue scrape you remove the layer of food, debris, dead cells and bad bacteria that is covering the top layer of your tongue. This allows the good bacteria that naturally lives on your tongue to flourish and be able to produce the NO that can actually help to LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE! This was fascinating news to me as this was never taught to me in dental school. Tongue scraping also removes the bad bacteria that causes bad breath, improves taste sensitivity and improves the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your mouth.
How to Tongue Scrape:
Scrape once daily using “light” pressure (don’t scrub or injure your tongue). Make sure you get the furthest back part of your tongue which is where these good bacteria mostly live. And definitely don’t rinse with an antiseptic mouthrinse. This can actually kill the good bacteria. I prefer a metal scraper because it is easier to clean and will last longer. I am happy to give specific recommendations of brands that I use and prefer, if you are interested. I am a forever student and always looking for new ways to learn and improve my overall health, especially my oral health. I had no idea that something so simple like tongue scraping could be so beneficial!
