FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#11 - Flipbook - Page 29
Tongue Scraping
With around 700 di昀昀erent
types of bacteria, both good
and bad, living on our tongues,
it’s no wonder that tongue
scraping is popular to help
combat bad breath. According
to ADA surveys, nearly one in
昀椀ve Australian adults regularly
scrapes their tongue.
What is it? Tongue scraping
involves using a U-shaped
plas琀椀c or metal tool to remove
debris and bacteria from the
tongue’s surface. While it’s
not an essen琀椀al part of oral
health care like brushing twice
daily and 昀氀ossing once a day,
it can help reduce food debris,
bacteria, and dead cells on
the tongue.
The science is s琀椀ll mixed on
tongue scraping, with some
studies sugges琀椀ng it may
improve gum and tooth health
as well as mouth freshness. Dr
Mikaela Chino琀�, the ADA’s
Oral Health Promoter, advises:
“If you do clean your tongue,
be gentle because the tongue
surface is delicate. You don’t
need a specialised device—
gently brushing your tongue with
a toothbrush works too.”
Start at the back of your
tongue, moving forward gently
with water to avoid dragging
the brush or scraper along
your tongue. Repeat this a few
琀椀mes for a thorough clean.
Flossing or cleaning between the teeth
While not exactly a trend,
cleaning between the teeth
is an essen琀椀al part of daily
oral hygiene. ADA surveys
show that three in four
Australians rarely or never
昀氀oss, but this step is crucial
to access the 40% of tooth
surfaces that brushing
alone misses. Leaving
bacteria around the gums
can lead to in昀氀amma琀椀on
and gum disease.
There are various op琀椀ons
for cleaning between teeth:
tradi琀椀onal string 昀氀oss,
昀氀osse琀琀es (昀氀oss with a
handle, ideal for children),
interdental brushes for
those with braces or gum
disease, and water 昀氀ossers,
which spray a stream of
water to clean hard-toreach areas around crowns,
braces, and implants.