Why Dentists Recommend that Patients Scrape their Tongues

the toxin eliminator

You’ve heard us talk about tongue scraping many times. And with good reason. There are endless benefits to this simple, Ayurvedic oral technique.

As we begin to understand the role of our oral microbiome more and more, ancient techniques which support oral hygiene become increasingly popular. One of those ancient techniques is tongue scraping: the art of removing ama, or toxic debris from your mouth.

Our mouths are literally a breeding ground for bacteria, either from poor oral hygiene or undigested food. The moment we put food in our mouth, our brain sends signals to the salivary glands telling them to make saliva in order to help digest food, and signals to the digestive system telling it to wake up and start doing its job.

By the time we wake up in the morning, toxins and bacteria have accumulated on the surface of our tongue, which is why many of us experience that delightful morning breath first thing in the morning. If these toxins are not removed, they will get reabsorbed back into the body and can cause a number of problems for our digestive and oral health.

The thicker the coating, the more sluggish our digestion, and the more toxins are present in the colon. When food is not digested properly, autointoxication sets in, which happens when food breaks down but has no way of being eliminated. This means that our bodies are not able to absorb vital nutrients from food and are instead turning food into semi-toxic waste, instead of nectar for the body. This causes weight gain, gas, bloating, diseases, food intolerances, and other imbalances.

For more detailed information on how to improve your gut health, read our article ‘Heal Your Gut, Heal Your Life’.

The tongue is an important organ of elimination

Our bodies are designed to eliminate toxins through all of our elimination systems (tongue, liver, lymph, kidneys, skin, lungs, and kidneys). If there are too many toxins for the body to handle, this can manifest in the form of eczema, acne, gas and more. Therefore, removing toxins from the tongue is a great way of preventing this backlog of toxicity in the body and helps to remove them in a healthy way.

While tongue scraping has been used for centuries within the Asian culture, Western dental and medical professionals are now realizing its amazing oral and overall health benefits. In fact, many dentists are now suggesting to their patients that they use a tongue scraper as part of their daily oral hygiene regimen.

It is especially beneficial if used first thing in the morning before you drink any water (so you don’t swallow back down those toxins). You really will be surprised when you see what comes off your tongue each morning!

Tongue scraping has been shown to remove thousands of bacteria from the tongue’s surface, that would otherwise be living in your mouth feeding off anything you put in your mouth. This then leads to a whole array of oral health problems. Studies have shown that using a tongue scraper once a day greatly reduces the overall incidence of Mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli bacteria in the mouth – the bacteria known to cause bad breath and dental decay.

what is your tongue telling you?

A thick coating on the tongue shows that the body has built up excess toxicity that is now starting to block the function of metabolism, enzyme secretion and digestive function across the body. From an Ayurvedic perspective, depending on which part of the tongue this excess appears, shows where in the body the blockage is located. For example, if the coating is on the back of the tongue, it represents the lower parts of the body, the middle represents the torso, and if the coating is towards the front of the tongue, this represents the upper parts of the body. If left untreated, this can lead to all sorts of degenerative diseases and imbalances.

When you sleep, your body goes through its fasting, metabolic stage and moves toxins to the elimination sites. One of those elimination sites is the tongue. By scraping away the toxins on our tongue, we can stop them reabsorbing back into the body.

a few tongue scraping benefits:

  • Stimulates the taste buds, which enhances a person’s sense of taste
  • Removes ama (toxins) and bacteria from the tongue that compromise gum, teeth and oral health
  • Improves digestive health, since many foods are first broken down in the mouth
  • Gently stimulates and cleans internal organs
  • Reduces volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), which are by-products of mouth bacteria linked to bad breath.

how to use a tongue scraper:

It is recommended that you scrape your tongue first thing in the morning before you drink any water, so you do not swallow any toxins.

  • Stick out your tongue and take a look at all that gunk on the top of your tongue – nice!
  • With a firm but gentle grip, holding the scraper on both ends, scrape the surface of your tongue from the back of your tongue all the way to the front tip
  • Rinse the scraper after each scrape and keep going until the coating is clear (usually between 5 – 10 strokes)
  • Once complete, rinse off your scraper completely and store in a clean place. It is recommended to boil your tongue scraper in hot water at least once a month to keep it disinfected
  • For optimal results, follow tongue scraping with flossing and brushing your teeth, using our all-natural tooth and gum powder

Please note, If your tongue feels a little sensitive at first then start with fewer and gentler strokes.

For best results, use a copper tongue scraper!
Read our article ‘Why use copper to scrape our tongues?’ to find out why!

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