What is the best way to clean my tongue?
Some dentists still recommend brushing with a toothbrush, but most agree that a tongue cleaner (tongue scraper) is a far better tool. Toothbrushes are designed for cleaning teeth. Tongue cleaners are designed to clean tongues, which are very different to teeth! A tongue cleaner such as Dr. Tung’s U-shaped cleaner is designed to gently ‘scrape’ off the unwanted bacteria and soft plaque, even from the back of the tongue where most is found. Indications are that tongue scraping removes far more bacteria than tongue brushing. Toothbrushes tend to ‘grip’ the tongue causing gagging, while the tongue cleaner slides along the tongue. So it’s more comfortable and more efficient. In fact it’s interesting to note that many cultures have been routinely cleaning their tongues for centuries, and they don’t use brushes for this! They use a similar u-shape cleaner, which can reach the back of the tongue.
