Will using a tongue scraper solve the problem with my breath?

Nobody likes bad breath. Halitosis (bad breath) is typically caused by a dry mouth. When your mouth doesn’t produce enough saliva, typically when you aren’t adequately hydrated, the cells on your tongue begin to die. As we all know, the human mouth is home to tons of bacteria. Those dead cells are then broken down by said bacteria, which produces a foul odor – giving us bad breath. It can also be caused by improper dental hygiene, or certain types of food. And while there are a number of things you can do for bad breath, such as drinking more water, brushing better, or using mouthwash, one method of alleviating bad breath is the use of a tongue scraper.

But do tongue scrapers actually work?

Since we know that the most common cause of bad breath is decomposing cells on the tongue, if this is in fact what is causing your bad breath, then yes! Tongue scrapers will help with bad breath. They remove the volatile sulfur compounds that are left behind on your tongue as cells are eaten away. As a matter of fact, this is the most effective method of eliminating bad breath… in the short term.

How to use a tongue scraper:

After you brush and floss, use your tongue scraper, in the morning and at night. If you notice a resurgence of symptoms in the middle of the day, scrape then too. Place it at the back of your tongue and drag it towards the tip. Do this a few times, rinsing the scraper in-between uses. If your tongue becomes irritated or you see cuts or sores developing, you’re scraping too hard, or too often. Allow the tongue to heal before you try again.

Are tongue scrapers a long-term solution?

Not really! While tongue scrapers do remove the offending bacteria, they do not address the underlying cause. They’ll take care of the bad breath as long as you continue to use them regularly, but for a permanent solution, you should try some other things in conjunction with the tongue scraper. Issues that cause bad breath include:

• Dry mouth
• Poor dental hygiene
• Gum disease
• Cavities
• An undiagnosed medical condition

Try drinking more water and brushing better, while still using the tongue scraper. After a while, skip the tongue scraper. If you find you still have bad breath, you will need to pay a visit to your dentist to determine what the cause is.