Global Courant
Tongue scraping consists of using an implement to remove the white or yellowish coating that sometimes forms on the tongue. This layer is the result of a buildup of food debris, dead skin cells, and bacteria, explains Dr. Martinna Bertolini, an associate professor of dental medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry.
“The tongue is the only tissue in the entire body that has papillae,” Bertolini says, referring to the tiny bumps that help the tongue grasp food when eating and sometimes have taste receptors. These papillae, like the grooves in the tongue that some people have, give rise to tiny pockets where accumulations can occur.
Tongue scrapers are designed to remove that discolored, often smelly coating. They are usually made of stainless steel, silicone or plastic and there are several types. They usually require taking one end of the instrument and pressing the tongue down with the other while scraping it.
How does tongue scraping help?
According to Ananda Dasanayake, Professor of Epidemiology at New York University School of Dentistry, such accumulations on the tongue smell bad because bacterial colonies can live on them. Some of these bacteria produce gases that are “really very smelly,” he adds, and “that’s one of the reasons why people get halitosis,” or persistent bad breath.
Halitosis is the main reason a dentist may recommend tongue scraping, says Isabelle Laleman, a specialist in periodontics at the Liège University Hospital Center in Belgium.
Bad breath treatments are fairly limited, he adds. A mouthwash can be used, but it only masks the smell. Physically scraping off the source of that odor is “the best we’ve got” for bad breath, she says.
Few studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of tongue scraping in reducing bad breath and the number of bacteria, and their results have been mixed. A review published in 2010 concluded that tongue scraping and brushing could improve breath odor and reduce tongue coating.
Other studies, including one co-authored and published in 2017 by Dr. Laleman, find that in 18 patients with periodontitis—a serious gum disease—tongue scraping made no difference in the number of bacteria or odor in their mouths (although patients said their tongues felt cleaner).
If your breath improves with scraping your tongue, Bertolini clarifies that it is important to keep in mind that this benefit will be temporary. “If you don’t do it every day, it comes back,” he says.
Scraping the source of the odor is “the best we’ve got” for bad breath. Photo Shutterstock.
You should try?
Dr. Bertolini points out that she recommends tongue scraping only for patients with halitosis, because they are the only ones who really need it.
If you have a history of gum disease, you want to keep the number of bacteria in your mouth as low as possible, so tongue scraping could, in theory, be helpful, he adds. But if you’re healthy and you don’t have halitosis, you won’t get worse by not scraping your tongue.
However, both Bertolini and Ananda Dasanayake scrape their tongues after brushing their teeth, twice a day for Bertolini and after every meal for Dasanayake.
Isabelle Laleman scrapes her tongue only when she feels like her breath isn’t good, she admits, but she thinks people should try it if they want to.
There is no risk associated with tongue scraping. The only potential downside is scraping too hard and hurting your tongue, Bertolini warns.
Scrapers are usually made of stainless steel, silicone, or plastic. Photo Shutterstock.
Tongue scraping: what is the proper technique?
Using a tongue scraper is fairly intuitive, explains Dr. Dasanayake. It is a simple sweeping movement, which requires at least three or four passes to cover the entire tongue. He prefers tongue scrapers with serrated edges, which allow good penetration into the grooves of the tongue.
If you don’t want to buy a tongue scraper, you can use a spoon, suggests Dr. Laleman. It is similar in shape, although it may be more difficult to reach the posterior areas of the tongue.
Some people ask if they can use a toothbrush, but Martinna Bertolini doesn’t recommend it. For one thing, “the gagging reflex is worse,” she notes, and she mentions at the same time that some studies indicate that toothbrushes aren’t as effective as tongue scrapers.
“I really don’t see a problem” with trying tongue scraping, Bertolini says. If you’re curious, there are scrapers in most drug stores and they’re relatively cheap. You may notice subtle changes in your breath at the same time, or you may simply enjoy the feeling of having a cleaner tongue. And, at least, it can become a pleasant complement to your routine.
©The New York Times
Translation: Roman Garcia Azcarate
***
You may also be interested in these notes on oral health:
➪Six things dentists wish we knew
➪They prove that an underestimated factor “accelerates” the risk of oral cancer: how it is detected and prevented
➪Why the rest plate is not the definitive solution to bruxism
***
➪ Do you have any questions about health and well-being that you would like us to address in section notes? Enter the Clarín Help Center by clicking here, enter Message to the newsroom and then Questions to Buena Vida. Write us your query and send. Done!
