Advocates of tongue scraping claim it’s an effective way to remove odour-causing bacteria
by HAYLEY BENNETT Hayley is a science writer based in Bristol, UK.
REVIEW
Search for the term ‘tongue scraper’ on TikTok and you’ll be met with an avalanche of videos extolling the virtues of small tongue-cleaning devices that resemble a cross between a vegetable peeler and a bottle opener. Perhaps, in pursuit of a brighter, fresher gape, you’ve had a go with a tongue scraper yourself. But what does the science say about these tools? Should you be spending extra time scraping bacteria off your tongue? And will it help you if you’re prone to bad breath?
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WHAT’S THE IDEA BEHIND TONGUE SCRAPING?
The thinking is straightforward: cleaning your tongue helps reduce the build-up of debris and bacteria that can give it an unpleasant tinge and cause bad breath.
A healthy mouth contains around 700 species of bacteria. But as Dr Zoe Brookes, associate professor of dental education and research at the University of Plymouth, explains, poor oral hygiene and build-up of bacterial coatings or films on the tongue can drive down diversity and allow anaerobic species (those that grow without oxygen) to dominate. These species thrive in pits at the back of the tongue, where they break down proteins in food and saliva to produce the smelly, sulphurous compounds linked to bad breath.
“The more mature this film is, the more anaerobic bacteria there are – the more smell-producing bacteria,” says Brookes. “So, the idea is that these tongue scrapers are going to pull this film off, get rid of all the smelly bacteria and then you get a healthy microbiome.”
While tongue cleaning has been around for centuries, some cultures are more enthusiastic about it than others. But in the UK, there are no clear guidelines for dentists to follow on tongue cleaning, according to Brookes. “Maybe we need to do a bit more research, so we’re well-informed when patients ask us,” she adds.
CAN TONGUE CLEANING REDUCE BAD BREATH?
Bad breath that isn’t related to eating garlic, onions or other odorous foods can be hard to shift. It comes down to the particulars of a person’s mouth bacteria; some people seem naturally prone to harbour the smellier sorts.
“We don’t know if it’s a genetic predisposition, but there’s no cure for it,” says Dr Saliha Saad, associate professor in biomedical scien
