Tongue scraping is my religion. Ok, perhaps not, but I am religious about it. I first tried it years ago when doing an Ayurvedic cleanse, and I’ve never, ever looked back.
The first time you ever tongue scrape, prepare to be disturbed. First and foremost, you must make sure to do it first thing in the morning before eating or drinking and prior to oil pulling, if that’s in your practice.
I don’t care how clean you are, how much you floss, water floss, and then thoroughly brush and rinse with mouthwash for 60 seconds the night before. The stuff that comes off your tongue in the morning is something to behold.
I love this one in particular because of its heft and materials. It’s sturdy. It’s stainless steel. It’s medical-grade. It’s not going to stain or warp and as long as you clean it regularly (oh my god, please do that), it’s going to last you a long, long time.
To get a little graphic, tongue… um, residue, is thick. It’s usually white-ish. And 5 to 7 strokes are what it takes to get it all off. And please, by the grace of Goddess, do be rinsing that thang off in between.
That thick film you wash down the drain is a layer of bacteria accumulated over night—an entire tongue coating. This layer of bacteria contains volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), a major culprit of bad breath that isn’t eradicated by brushing and rinsing alone. Remember that before you haphazardly brush your teeth, counting on the minty freshness of toothpaste to mask your morning breath. Don’t mask—remove the source. Amen.
An extra bonus? You might end up with a happier digestive system. This study showed that people who practiced tongue scraping daily had better digestion and overall health. So if you add this simple tool to your morning routine, you could be doing your body (and anyone close to you) a big favor!
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