Tongue scraping is taking the world by storm, and it’s about time. This ancient practice can bring so many amazing benefits to your oral care routine, but it can be hard to know exactly how to incorporate it.

Should you use your tongue scraper in the morning and at night? Should you use it before or after brushing? Where does mouthwash fit into the routine?

Don’t worry, we’re covering all of these questions.

quick refresh: the benefits of tongue scraping

Before we dive into the step-by-step breakdown of the ideal tongue scraping routine, let’s do a little recap on the benefits of tongue scraping. If it’s something you’re going to do every day, you should at least know why it’s so great for you, right?

Some of the amazing benefits of tongue scraping include:

• that *clean* feeling: you know that feeling when your mouth is really, truly clean? To us, that feeling is unbeatable. And without a tongue scraper, it’s almost impossible (just keep reading to see all the reasons why).
• removal of bacteria, toxins, and debris: the grooved, cushy surface of your tongue is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, toxins, and debris. By scraping daily, you’re starting (and/or ending) the day with a fresh clean slate.
• fresher breath + improved taste: by removing the bacteria and mucosal film that sits on your tongue, tongue scraping can directly freshen your breath and improve your sense of taste.
• better digestion and gut health: not only does tongue scraping reduce the number of harmful bacteria in your mouth (which affects the very important bacterial balance in your gut), but research suggests that it can also directly help your digestion. By improving your sense of taste, you can experience higher satisfaction during meals, allowing your body to listen to hunger cues and improve digestion.
• organ stimulation: ancient Ayurveda states that different areas of your tongue are connected to your vital organs. Massaging each of these areas through tongue scraping can stimulate and nurture these organs, including your heart, kidney, stomach, liver, and lungs.
• increased health awareness: your tongue has a lot to tell you. In general, your tongue should be even in color (a rich pink), smooth in texture, and free of grooves. If your tongue doesn’t look this way, check out our previous article which outlines certain health issues that can appear on your tongue.

All of these benefits can improve your oral and overall health, reduce your risk of tooth decay, prevent gum disease, relieve tooth sensitivity, and beyond.

the ideal tongue scraping routine

First off, we want to warn you to avoid drinking water first thing in the morning (before your oral care routine). This is because when you wake up, your mouth is full of bacteria and pathogens. While it can be tempting to immediately quench your thirst, we don’t want you swallowing all of those harmful bacteria and introducing them to your gut microbiome.

Now, let’s get into the routine.

1. floss: we recommend Cocofloss, our favorite eco-friendly floss.
2. brush with Davids Natural Toothpaste: all of our natural toothpaste formulas are made with intentional ingredients that reduce the load of harmful bacteria in your mouth, while whitening your teeth, freshening your breath, and nourishing your oral microbiome.
3. scrape your tongue: we recommend tongue scraping after you brush, so your tongue is already coated in the amazing ingredients of our natural toothpaste. The residue of the toothpaste will linger on your tongue, and tongue scraping allows the ingredients to penetrate deeper into the tissue to effectively fight bad bacteria.
4. (optional) oil pull: if you want to, start your day with some herbal oil pulling to extract bacteria from your teeth and give your body a healthy dose of nourishing Ayurvedic herbs. Swish the oil around in your mouth for anywhere from 5-15 minutes while keeping your mouth closed. Once you’re done, rinse with warm water.
5. (optional) use a natural mouthwash: natural mouthwash is another amazing tool to help you feel super fresh at the end of your oral care routine. Unlike conventional mouthwashes that burn your mouth and completely wipe out the good bacteria in your oral microbiome, natural mouthwash works to balance bacteria and remineralize your teeth with hydroxyapatite supplementation.

Now that we’ve covered the perfect tongue scraping routine, let’s discuss how often you should scrape your tongue....and what really sets the Davids tongue scraper apart from the rest.

how often should you scrape your tongue?

You’ll see some mixed answers to this question, so here’s the general rule of thumb we like to recommend. You should use your tongue scraper at least once per day, towards the end of your oral care routine (as explained above).

Twice per day is ideal because the bacteria load in your mouth is highest at the end of the day and after a long night’s sleep. However, if you find that tongue scraping every morning and night is leaving your tongue feeling dry and/or sore, you can reduce it to once per day. Also, be sure that you’re not pressing too hard on your tongue. Tongue scraping should be a gentle, nurturing act that sweeps away the day’s (or night’s) impurities, and it shouldn’t be causing any lingering discomfort.

why is Davids the best tongue scraper?

Now that we’ve covered the perfect tongue scraping routine, it’s time to talk about the best tongue scraper out there.

There are so many tongue scrapers on the market, and you’ll notice many of them are arch-shaped. But our professional tongue scraper is a natural stand-out with its single-hand, round-edge design that helps you clean those hard-to-reach spots on your tongue....without upsetting your gag reflex. Made of 100% medical grade stainless steel, it’s the tongue scraper that’s preferred by dental professionals....and actually used as an example in dental schools.

In other words, it’s the best tongue scraper for your (now perfected) tongue scraping routine.

buy now.