I’m a pretty gross person. Not the kind of gross where I let dishes grow fur, clothes pile up and dog hair accumulate into the size of my actual dog. No, I’m the type of person that relishes in watching pimple popping videos for hours. Ingrown hairs? Lemme see. Ear wax cleaning? Give it to me.
One day, while I was spiraling downward into my usual YouTube spiral, I found a Buzzfeed video where they got their tongues scraped, and I thought to myself, “Sounds disgusting. I gotta have it.”. So I clicked on it. What I found not only satiated my repulsive side but also informed me about the importance of scraping your tongue.
When you brush your teeth, you’re getting the plaque off the surface which is great! But you don’t spit all of it out. Mostly it just gets packed into the ridges of your tongue. That plaque isn’t the only thing that takes up residence on your tongue—food particles, bacteria, and dead skin cells also get deep into the crevices which are the main causes of bad breath. So, if you’re finding that your mouthwash just isn’t cutting it anymore, try scraping! Actually, the best thing to do is actually scrape first then brush to avoid putting it back in your mouth. And of course, floss.
In the video, the dentist uses plastic tongue scrapers that he says are like 25 cents. Clearly, as a dentist, he’s not going to re-use them. But you’re not a dentist! These boujee stainless steel tongue scrapers come in a 2-pack and are just 10 bucks on Amazon. Personally, I use the plastic floss picks to floss, and then I fold out the intended pick and flip it horizontally for a scraper too. What can I say, I love a bo-go.
Tongue scraping really changed the oral hygiene game for me. It really leaves my mouth feeling extra fresh and clean and it helps prevent bad breath. Plus it’s soooo gross and fun to look at all the crud you get off. So, would you rather spend money on tic-tacs and dentist appointments or less than your Starbucks order for a tongue scraper? Up to you.