Although I have been in dentistry for over 40 years, it was only 20 years ago that I made the daily commitment to thoroughly cleaning my mouth. For the past 20 years, I have not missed one day of my oral health care ritual of flossing every tooth, two-minute brushing, and tongue scraping.  This is a no excuses, bright line habit I do every single morning without fail. I love that I do this for myself (and for those closest to me) and today I want to share the many benefits of tongue scraping.

I believe brushing your tongue is more effective than nothing, but using a scraper is the most successful way to remove bacteria and toxins from the tongue. Tongue scrapers come in many forms such as stainless steel, gold, silver, brass, tin, copper, and plastic. Copper is my preference due to the anti-bacterial and conductive properties of copper.  Many scientific studies have clearly demonstrated that copper has fast, broad-spectrum antimicrobial effectiveness against the most toxic type of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The lymphatic system is a gatekeeper of the body’s immune system and it is believed that copper ions are absorbed into the lymph and blood to help support lymphatic flow.

Benefits of tongue scraping include:

• Removal of bacteria and toxins
• Stimulation of digestion and taste buds
• Energize internal organs of the body
• Freshens breath

Tongue scraping is an easy and effective way to maintain a healthy smile. Be gentle with this procedure and use care with the larger taste buds at the back of the tongue. But most of all enjoy the good feeling this brings to your entire day.