Dear Friends,
Many people understand the importance of keeping your teeth clean and free of harmful bacteria, which is wonderful. However, having a clean tongue is an equally important part of oral wellness. And along with using a high-quality pulling oil, tongue scraping is a quick and easy way to achieve this.
What is tongue scraping?
Exactly what it sounds like! Twice a day, I use my stainless steel tongue scraper to remove excess particles from my tongue. Tongue scraping is a practice that has roots in Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system that is over 3,000 years old.
The ancient Ayurvedic healers understood that your mouth is the gateway to your entire body. Overall wellness starts with your mouth. And that includes your tongue.
Ouch! Doesn’t tongue scraping hurt?
Not at all. The process is quite gentle. I actually find the sensation very pleasant! Better yet, the entire process takes no more than 15 seconds, twice a day.
So what are the benefits of tongue scraping?
I want to be very clear that tongue scraping is no replacement for regular teeth brushing, flossing, and professional dental cleanings. However, there are many benefits to tongue scraping, including:
- Fighting bad breath and tooth decay. To be clear, scraping your tongue is no replacement for regularly brushing and professionally cleaning your teeth. This study suggests that using a tongue scraper twice daily for a week reduces the presence of harmful oral bacteria that cause bad breath and tooth decay.
- Improving the appearance of your tongue. There’s nothing worse than being on Zoom and seeing that your tongue is white, and knowing that everyone else can see it too! Or being on a date and wondering why you didn’t get a kiss at the end of the night, only to go home and see your tongue in the mirror. Tongue scraping is a quick and easy way to make sure your tongue always looks and feels free of bad mucus and bacteria.
- Improving your sense of taste. With extra particles removed from your tongue, your microbial load is more balanced. As a result, your taste buds are better able to taste different delicious flavors.
How do I clean my tongue scraper?
As long as you use a high-quality, stainless steel tongue scraper, the cleaning process is easy. Simply clean with warm water after each use, or run through the dishwasher.
I am excited for you to try this easy and effective oral wellness tool for yourself.
Namaste, Puneet
