What's the deal with tongue-scraping?

My dear friend, and an everlasting cheerleader in all my endeavors, was driving me to the airport and for some reason we were talking about Oral Hygiene. She knows I love the OH, which I appreciate about her (not everyone wants to talk about flossing, or their all-time favorite dental floss). Out of nowhere she blurted out: "What's the deal with tongue-scraping?"

Well of course I was off to the races. The deal with tongue-scraping is it's easy, it's awesome, and it's good for your health in several subtle ways. Let's discuss.

What even is tongue-scraping?

Tongue scraping is a simple Ayurvedic practice that offers a range of benefits for both oral hygiene and overall well-being. Our tongues are covered with little nooks and crannies called papillae (puh-PEE-lee) that can gather gunk (called ama, or toxin/metabolic waste in Ayurveda) that can cause bad breath, dull the sense of taste, and cause overall health issues.

Of all the Ayurvedic practices, this is one of the easiest to incorporate into your daily routine. Technically, it involves using a simple, inexpensive tongue cleaner like this one from Banyan Botanicals, to gently stroke your tongue from back to front.

How do I do it?

Good question. Here are the steps:

• Preparation: all you have to do is rinse your mouth with water. Or better yet, just do it after you have already brushed your teeth, as the finishing touch.

• Scrape that tongue: Gently press the scraper against the back of your tongue and pull it forward, applying light pressure. Do this a few times. I like to rinse the scraper after each pass and observe the ama I scrape off, which looks kind of like yogurt. I stop when I don't see any more ama (usually after the 3rd or 4th scrape).

  
  

You can do this every day when you brush your teeth to make sure your tongue is squeaky clean. It's great to do in the morning to remove any ama that built up overnight and start the day with a fresh mouth.

A note on the tongue scraper: use a copper or stainless steel scraper because they are antimicrobial and last longer than plastic. Plus, plastic - ew!

What are all the benefits of tongue-scraping?

• Clean Mouth: Regular tongue scraping significantly enhances oral hygiene. You are literally scraping away the bacteria living on your tongue, leading to fresher breath and a lower risk of dental issues such as cavities and gum disease.

• Tastier Food: Removing buildup on your tongue can improve your sense of taste. This makes food taste more delicious, and enhances your ability to distinguish the Six Tastes of Ayurveda (more on that some other time).

• Detoxification: when you scrape your tongue, you can literally see the ama you are scraping away. I think of this as just a small way I can help my body in its never-ending quest to keep itself clean and healthy.

• Supports Good Digestion: oral health and good digestion go hand in hand. By maintaining a clean tongue, you may enhance saliva production, which is essential for the initial stages of digestion. This can lead to improved digestive health and nutrient absorption.

• Supports Immunity: Reducing the bacterial load in the mouth may also have a positive impact on the immune system. I've heard stories of people getting sick from random bacteria in their mouths and tongue-scraping seems like a good way to reduce that risk.

Make it stick!

Here are some tips for incorporating tongue-scraping into your life forever:

• Get a tongue scraper you think is cute.

• Keep the beautiful tongue-scraper with your other dental hygiene tools (in a cute glass!) so you will see it every day.

• If you like body-stuff, get interested in what you are scraping off your tongue. What does it mean? Did you eat a bunch of sugar or have a few cocktails last night, resulting in more ama than usual in the morning? Being curious about it might make it fun.

• If you do NOT like body-stuff, do not look at it! Gross!

• If you track habits (in a bullet journal for example), add it to your list of rituals.

• If you thrive with accountability, find a friend to compare notes with.

• Overall, I love tongue-scraping (and flossing) because it's an easy task with measurable benefits that I can successfully set as a goal. To be honest, sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed or confused, an easy self-care task like tongue-scraping can boost my morale and help support me through tough times.

Scrape on, my friends.