How to clean your tongue

Step by step tongue cleaning

Knowing how to clean your tongue correctly is important to prevent bad breath. Most of the time, mouthwash and toothpaste are not enough to clean your tongue. Mouthwash is not even suitable for getting rid of the white coat on your tongue.

To clean your tongue effectively, you’re going to need some tools, read more about tongue cleaning tool over here.

Cleaning your tongue is actually pretty easy, let’s get started:

Step number 1
Start by putting the tongue scraper on your tongue and slowly and gently move the scraper forward. Scraping your tongue is vital especially if you want to get rid of that white coat on your tongue.

Step number 2
Apply a small among of tongue cleaning gel on the tongue brush and brush your tongue gently.

Step number 3
Rinse your mouth with water.

Reminder:

• It is normal for you to experience gag reflex during the process especially if you’re new to this. To avoid this, do not scrape or brush to deep inside your mouth.
• Do not brush or scrape your tongue harshly. Doing this might cause damage to your tongue instead of cleaning it. You can read more about the side effects of tongue cleaning and how you can avoid it here.

That white coating and bacteria on your tongue can cause bad breath, if you know how to clean your tongue and make it part of your daily routine, you can reduce bad breath and increase your confident.

Tongue cleaning tool

Tool that can help you to clean your tongue

There are variety of tongue cleaning tool to choose from. For those who just discovered the benefits of tongue cleaning, we’re going to give you some explanation about the tools available to get the job done (with pictures). Other than that, we will explain the side effect of cleaning your tongue and how you can reduce it.

What they are, basically...
Basically, all these tools work pretty much the same way, they remove bacteria, fungi and even food debris on the surface of your tongue. However, they do have a few differences.

Tongue scraper

the scraper

Tongue scraper is the most common tongue cleaning tool available in the market today. It is easy to use, cheap and widely available.

Tongue cleaner

Cleaner

This tool is usually made of either plastic or metal, unlike the scraper you’ll need to use both of your hand to clean your tongue with this.

Tongue brush

Don't forget to brush

It’s like a toothbrush for your tongue. You put a little bit of tongue cleaning gel on your tongue brush and brush your tongue.

The side effect of tongue cleaning
Some people complain that they gag when cleaning their tongue. To reduce this effect, you can try brushing your tongue by pulling forward only.  Other than that, try not to brush too far in your mouth.

Read more about gag reflex and other tongue cleaning side effect.

The most important part of choosing a tongue cleaning tool is to go with the one that you’re most comfortable with. Some peoples prefer the scraper because it cheap and easy to use while other think that they’ll need the tongue brush with tongue cleaning gel to get the job done.

We think the scraper work great, how about you?

How to make a homemade tongue scraper

There is alternative to this

Despite the fact that tongue scraper is cheap and widely available in the market, there are always reasons for peoples to make their own homemade tongue scraper.

For example, you probably need to make your own DIY tongue scraper because tongue scraper is hard to find in your country, or maybe you just looking for something a lot more simple and fast to clean your tongue.

Whatever the reasons is, today we’re going to show you how to make your own homemade tongue scraper at home.

homemade tongue scraper using a plastic spoon

Tongue scraping can be done with spoon

Or metal spoon, it will work too. If you’re looking for a simple and fast method to clean your tongue, simply use a spoon to get the job done.

You can do this by starting at the back of your tongue and pull the spoon forward with the spoon faced down.

This might look too simple and easy as you don’t have to modify the spoon or anything but it will get the build up on your tongue scraped for good.

DIY tongue cleaner VS purchased tongue cleaner
Nevertheless, if tongue scraper is available in your country, it is better to get one instead of using a plastic spoon because the tongue scrapers are actually designed and create to clean your tongue while spoon is not invented for that particular purpose.

3 tongue cleaning side effect you should know

The side effect can be avoided

When you make tongue cleaning as your daily routine, it is obvious that you’re hoping that you can improve your oral health by doing it. But what about the side effect?

Unfortunately, tongue cleaning side effect exist and in this post you’re going to find out what the side effect are, how can you reduce them and if it is worth it to clean your tongue with all this possible side effect present.

Damaged taste bud
Not only it make your food tasteless, a damaged taste bud can also cause infection to your tongue. This side effect often caused by viciously brushing and scraping your tongue. To avoid damaging your own taste bud, try to brush or scrap your tongue gently.

Gag reflex or urge to vomit
Gag reflex is pretty normal especially for someone who is new to tongue cleaning. Good news is, most of the time this is only temporary. You can also avoid scraping or brushing too far in your mouth to reduce this side effect.

Unintentionally helping the bacterias to thrive
The purpose of tongue cleaning is to remove the bacteria on your tongue. However, cleaning your tongue by brushing alone without scraping might cause the bacteria to get further into the tongue surface.

To prevent this simply make tongue scraping as part of your tongue cleaning routine.

Should you clean your tongue?, will it be worth it? – you decide!
Most of these tongue cleaning side effect occur due to improper or harsh cleaning done by the person himself and can easily prevented by cleaning your tongue gently. Other than that, cleaning your tongue can improve your sense of taste and reduce bad breath.