Features of tongue scrapers

People very often experience the problem of bad breath even when they brush their teeth daily. The reason may be contamination on the back of the tongue - a white coating, which consists of small particles of food and waste products of bacteria. Therefore, in order to clean the oral cavity as efficiently as possible, a tongue scraper was invented. We will tell you about what kind of device it is and how to use it in this article.

The tongue is able to sense taste thanks to the numerous receptors on its back, but this structure has its drawbacks. The area covered with taste buds has a rough structure with grooves into which small pieces of food and dead cells are easily clogged. Over time, pollution accumulates on the surface of the organ, and this can cause the appearance of pathogenic microflora or other unpleasant diseases of the oral cavity.

The organ practically does not have the ability to cleanse itself of dirt on its own, so it would be wise to clean it with a special device. Failure to maintain good oral hygiene is more likely to lead to diseases such as gum disease, glossitis, lymphadenitis, or stomatitis.

A tongue scraper becomes an excellent assistant in such a situation - a tool that carefully and efficiently removes an unwanted layer of dirt from the back of the strongest muscle. The technology of using the device is quite simple and does not cause pain - even young schoolchildren can easily master the method of cleaning the tongue with a scraper. In the oral cavity, everything is interconnected, so after cleaning the tooth enamel, be sure to clean the inner surface of the cheeks and the area covered with taste receptors. This procedure takes very little time, but at the same time it becomes an excellent prevention against various diseases.

Devices for removing plaque come in different shapes and structures, but at the same time they do not change their cleaning properties at all. The design and surface of the purifier are manufactured to minimize the risk of gag reflex and exclude the possibility of damage to the taste buds. The device is conditionally divided into several types, therefore, in order to make it easier to choose a suitable model, we will consider each of them in more detail.

• Scraper in the form of a brush. The instrument consists of a silicone coated plastic handle and a flat tip. The round or oval brush has slightly shorter bristles than a regular toothbrush.

• A regular teaspoon. It is best to use silver spoons - they not only qualitatively remove plaque, but also have a charitable effect on the human body. But if it is not possible to purchase a silver instrument, you can use a copper or ordinary table one.

• Toothbrush with a raised pad for cleaning the tongue. Most brushes have a special rubberized or silicone insert designed for cleaning the oral cavity.

• Special scapula. The tongue cleaner consists of a flexible, flexible handle and a spoon-shaped tip. The tool can be used as an attachment for an electric toothbrush.

The scraper, which protects the oral cavity from diseases and harmful microorganisms, is divided into three categories by the type of structure. To choose the right device, familiarize yourself with the features of each of them.

• Simple single arc tool. The uncomplicated design of the item makes the product quite inexpensive. The arcuate element does an excellent job of removing plaque from the tongue, but quite often it happens that it causes a gag reflex.
• Double arc design. The flat scraper with two cleaning elements thoroughly removes unpleasant plaque, does not cause discomfort when cleaning the root of the tongue, and causes vomiting much less often. The cost of such a product is slightly higher than that of devices with one arc.
• The device is ergonomically shaped with a wavy cover. The range of products in this category is quite wide, so everyone can choose the right model. Such a scraper quickly copes with the removal of dirt from the back of the gustatory organ, and also produces a light massage that improves blood circulation and does not cause a gag reflex at all. Among other categories, such an item is the most expensive.

Products for the care of the oral cavity differ in two more criteria: the presence of bristles and the material from which the item is created. Let us consider in more detail how such devices differ.

Thanks to the flat tip, the scraper minimizes the possibility of gagging while brushing the tongue. The instrument can be of two types - with and without villi. The first option is great for loosening plaque on the back of the taste bud. The fluff scraper prepares the plaque well for removal. The second model of the cleaner is without bristles, thanks to its unusual shape, the tool scrapes away dirt as effectively as a scraper with bristles.

The object for removing plaque from the tongue was invented by people for a long time - back in the 19th century, the tool was widely used. Wealthy people ordered custom items made from exotic materials such as turtle shell, ivory, or silver. In the modern world, the most common raw materials for the manufacture of hygiene items are plastic and silicone. The silicone coated plastic scraper is convenient, economical and does not need to be updated frequently.

If the oral cleaning instrument is copper or metal, with proper care and regular antiseptic treatment, it will last longer than a plastic one.

There are many different companies that make oral hygiene products. The most famous of these are the brands Colgate, Oral-B and Lacalut, and you've probably seen their cleaning products on store shelves. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of equally popular enterprises that produce quality products.

• Curaprox. A Swiss company that independently developed a convenient shape of a scraper for cleaning taste buds. Curaprox CTC 201 is the most famous product of this brand, it includes a set of two instruments with different tip shapes. The material from which the scrapers are made is soft elastic silicone, which completely excludes the possibility of damaging the delicate mucous membrane, so the cleaner can be both for children and for adults.

• LLC "Avantage". The company produces quality products for cleaning the oral cavity, and one of them is the Freshness scraper. The device looks like a thin long piece of flexible plastic, at the ends of which there are comfortable handles. To use such a scraper, it is necessary to squeeze both handles together, creating a kind of loop. The cleaning quality is enhanced by the soft and hard side of the tool.

• Dentalpik. The most famous model of this brand's tongue cleaner is the blue Tongue Cleaner. The design is equipped with a comfortable grip with an anti-slip coating and a convenient tip that fits the tongue as comfortably as possible. The shape of the hygiene item cleans the taste buds much faster than the rubberized pad on the back of a toothbrush.

• Trisa. The company manufactures hygiene instruments with a flat plastic handle and a double-sided head. The sides of the handpiece have different purposes - the rigid nozzle effectively removes a large amount of dirt. On the second side of the head, there are bristles that gently cleanse softened plaque, and also act as a massager, promoting blood circulation in the organ of taste.

• Miradent. The company produces comfortable plastic hygiene items, which are shaped like a loop with a crossbar in the middle. The brush head is also equipped with soft bristles for enhanced removal of white deposits.

• Pierrot Tongue Cleaner. A Spanish company that produces a universal device for deep cleansing of taste buds.The scraper has two sides that perform different functions: the first looks like a ribbed strip, it is designed to remove most of the dirt, the second part is equipped with silicone fibers - this allows you to clean debris from the deep grooves between the papillae.

• Nalita tongue cleaner. The manufacturer from Spain creates quality products for oral hygiene. The brand's plaque removal tool is designed as an elastic plastic loop that is large enough to cover a large area of ​​the tongue.

• Dental Care Charcoal. A Korean company that has diligently studied the demand for hygiene products. Experts have come to the conclusion that the most popular choice of buyers is a set of a handle-holder and attachments, such as a toothbrush and a scraper. The set of the most famous products of this brand includes three brushes with a scraper and charcoal.

• Miradent Tong Clin De Luxe. The hygiene product of this brand has a very unusual structure - at the tip there is a thin surface designed to remove the top layer of dirt. Below is a crossbar with several rows of soft fibers, which ensure effective removal of dirt in hard-to-reach places.

There is a wide range of oral hygiene products available. The tongue scraper is one of the most popular and convenient plaque removal tools. Now that you are familiar with the varieties of this item, it would be wise to study how to use the purifier.

It is necessary to start cleaning the tongue from the root - this will ensure efficiency and proper hygiene, because by first cleaning from the tip, you risk again contaminating it with bacteria from the base of the taste organ. If necessary, you can add some toothpaste to the scraper.

The scraper brush is a fairly old tool that has not lost its popularity since the 11th century. Previously, plaque was removed from the surface of the tongue with the help of cypress cones and tree bark, but nowadays there is no need to resort to such radical objects at all. A modern hygiene item is more durable and safer for human health - it is made from plastic, silicone or metal. To use the brush correctly, you need to follow these simple instructions:

• first open your jaw and stick out your tongue - it should be as open as possible for a convenient cleaning process;
• rinse the scraper under running water and place it as close to the base of the muscle as possible;
• do not push the device deeper if you feel vomiting - after a while you will get used to it and will be able to clean the receptors from the very root;
• move the scraper from root to tip, lightly pressing the hard side against the accumulated plaque;
• after each manipulation, wash off all the collected dirt from the instrument with running water;
• always start cleaning from the base and end with the tip, if you make movements in the opposite direction, all the collected microorganisms will come back and cleaning will be meaningless;
• after the end of the procedure, thoroughly rinse the hygiene item with running water, and store it in the package inside the first-aid kit.

When you are in a hurry, it is enough to swipe the hygiene item on your tongue 3-4 times, and then rinse your mouth and brush. Even after such a quick procedure, the mouth will be noticeably cleaner - the unpleasant odor will not haunt you until the next meal.