The Importance of Tongue-Scraping

You’re probably brushing and flossing every day, but are you also scraping your tongue? If you aren’t, you are missing an important part of your daily oral hygiene.

Bacteria can grow on any surface in your mouth, and it doesn’t need to be growing on your teeth or gums to cause tooth decay or gingivitis. The surface of your tongue is developing a thick layer of plaque which is creating the acid that eats away at your mouth, and also contributes to bad breath. An antibacterial mouthwash can go a long way towards killing off the bacteria throughout your mouth, but it will do little to clear away the plaque.

The good news is that it’s easy to clear this plaque away; simply brush at the top of your tongue with your toothbrush once a day. Since many people find this to be fairly uncomfortable, particularly when they try to scrape the back of their tongues, there are products available designed specifically for tongue-scraping.

Tongue Health and Care

Talk to our Issaquah dentist if you have any questions about tongue-scraping, or anything else that pertains to your daily oral hygiene routine.