Most people have their dental care routine down pat, but many miss one important step that keeps the mouth healthy and the breath fresh: cleaning the tongue. An easy, simple way to keep the tongue clean is with the use of a tongue scraper, a tool designed to remove extra particles and reduce bacteria and food debris on the tongue. This can help reduce bad breath and tongue coatings, explains Alison Newgard, DDS, assistant professor of clinical dentistry in the Division of Restorative Dentistry at Columbia University College of Dentistry. At the end of OraBrush there is a scraper. When the bristles have wiped the residue to the surface, you can use this scraper to completely scrape the residue off the tongue. Using a tongue scraper can help decrease bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. How to Choose a Tongue Scraper

It is not by chance that Orabrush is the world's best-selling tonguecleaner. Move your tongue a few times and bacteria don't stand a chance. A tongue scraper comes in a couple of forms, both of which have the same intention; to remove a thing mucus-based layer of debris from the tongue. This said, one of the most popular tongue cleaners on the market today, the Orabrush, is a brush design, but interestingly has a scraper included as part of thatdesign. Overall, tongue scrapers can be a great tool for reducing bad breath and improving oral health. With proper use and care, they can help keep your mouth clean and fresh. What Causes Bad Breath? Plastic: The two best things about plastic tongue scrapers are the low price, and that they are supremely gentle on your tongue, guaranteeing no harm will come to your taste buds. Many scrapers made from silicone or similar have texture or tiny bristles, meaning they get in between and underneath even stubborn tongue fur. The downside is they're not great for the environment and will need regular replacements.The recommendation from DenTek, the manufacturer of Orabrush, is to replace this every 3-4 months, roughly the same time you would replace a manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush head. This scraper offers a very soft cleaning experience, whilst you could feel it scraping certainly did not leave the same just scraped/cleaned feeling and taste that I hoped for.

Tongue scraping can help reduce the amount of excess debris. This can help improve your overall sense of taste. Fresher Breath Ultimately any cleaner, be that a scraper, tongue brush or a normal toothbrush head, are more useful to you and your breath than not cleaning your tongue at all. Some, however, may not like the feeling of stainless steel on their tongue and find a plastic tongue scraper more comfortable to use. “The stainless steel tongue scrapers are best since they can be cleaned and disinfected,” says Joseph Salim, DMD, dentist at Sutton Place Dental Associates in New York. “They also last longer than their plastic counterparts.” Dr. Salim stresses that the technique used is just as important as the kind of tongue scraper used. To find and recommend the best tongue scrapers, we spoke with dentists and researched dozens of tongue cleaners and scrapers available in the market. We reviewed the materials used by the tongue scraper, the design of the tool, ease of use, and ease of cleaning to keep the tongue scraper effective and hygienic, as well as added features for ease of storage, portability, and travel. We also reviewed the pricing—most of the options on our list are affordable, while some that are at the higher end of the price spectrum offer additional features.Sometimes a person is too forceful with the tongue scraper, which may cause an accidental sore. Try to be mindful of how much pressure you use. If your tongue bleeds, rinse your mouth with warm saltwater and let your tongue heal before using the tongue scraper again. OraBrush is much more effective than other cleaners. Other cleaners concentrate mainly on the surface of the tongue, which causes bacteria to pass between the mucous membrane. You certainly do become used to it, but the number of bristles that scrape along the tongue surface created a sensation that felt a bit strange. No tongue cleaner equals the effectiveness of Orabrush. OraBrush is characterised by its ultra-soft and fine-pointed bristles that maneuver through the tongue tissue in a mouth-friendly way and sweep all bacteria to the surface.