Best tongue scraper

Tongue cleaner

Welcome to the reviews of the tongue cleaner test 2021. Our editorial team shows you all the tongue cleaners that we have put under the microscope. We have compiled all the information we could get and also show you an overview of the customer reviews we found on the web.

Our goal is to make your purchase decision easier and to help you find the most suitable tongue cleaner for you.

To the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) we give you the right answers in the guide section and with the product. Of course, there is also other important information to help you buy the right tongue cleaner.

The most important facts in brief

• With a tongue cleaner, you can scrape residual food particles as well as bacteria from your tongue. You can also reduce unpleasant mouth and breath odor by up to 90% and prevent gum inflammation.
• Tongue scraper reduces toxins from your body and improves digestive health, as many foods are broken down in the mouth first. Also, your taste buds will function better.
• Unlike the classic and closed tongue scrapers, which are inexpensive, the Ayurvedic versions are flat and optimal for people for whom the gag reflex sets in quickly.

Buyer’s guide for tongue scraper

Why do I need a tongue scraper?

The tongue is an important element in language formation and is equipped with the sensory organs for touching and tasting. Although it is very important for your body, it is very often left out in daily oral hygiene. Tongue plaque, which accumulates mainly on the back third of the tongue, is often the cause of periodontal disease, gingivitis, and chronic bad breath. In addition, diseases such as black tongue or yellow tongue are not uncommon. Your mouth contains 100 to as many as 200 different types of bacteria. In an unhealthy mouth, there can even be over a billion germs on the tongue, in the gums, and in the teeth.

Therefore, it can only be beneficial to subject your tongue to daily cleaning.

However, the question arises which tongue cleaner is best to recommend. The following guide will help you to make your decision.

What is a tongue cleaner?

Tongue cleaners are instruments that you can use to clean the surface of your tongue. A tongue cleaner, also called a tongue scraper, is a device used for daily oral hygiene. With the scraper, you can remove plaque from your tongue. This process is very gentle and without any side effects. A tongue cleaner is especially narrow and long, so you can easily reach the back of your tongue without gagging. With the particularly flat shape, manufacturers promise effective and easy cleaning. A classic tongue cleaner is made of plastic and has the shape of a stick. At the end of the rod is a scraper, which is made of silicone or plastic.

With it, you scrape your tongue to remove mucus and other bacteria. There are also models made of stainless steel. You can bend the ends of this tongue scraper and shape the tongue cleaner into any size and position you need. Some scrapers are made of metal or even copper. Many alternative medical practitioners believe that a copper tongue cleaner promotes healthy microbes in the mouth and is toxic to harmful bacteria. However, any tongue cleaner is efficient with which you can apply enough pressure to remove bacteria and mucus from your tongue. Moreover, you should feel comfortable with the appropriate tongue scraper and be satisfied with its price. Nevertheless, the price does not matter whether a tongue cleaner cleans effectively or not. The price here only refers to the durability of a corresponding tongue cleaner.

Why is cleaning the tongue so important?

Besides food residues, dead cell parts of the oral mucosa also adhere to the rough surface of your tongue. Mostly they form a white coating, which is an optimal breeding ground for bacteria. These microorganisms can eventually cause periodontitis and caries. However, you can remove the coating with a tongue cleaner and thus also most of the bacteria present there. Whether tongue cleaners prevent periodontitis and tooth decay has not yet been scientifically proven. However, some studies have shown that cleaning the tongue does have positive effects. However, it is undisputed by dentists that cleaning the tongue is in no way harmful.

Moreover, experts believe that bad breath does not originate in the stomach, but in 85% to 90% in your mouth.

Doctors blame bad breath mainly on bacteria that live on your tongue and that you can’t get rid of with a toothbrush alone. These bacteria ensure that volatile sulfur compounds are formed from extinct food residues and mucous membrane cells. These in turn make your breath smell unpleasant. Regular cleaning will prevent this process and prevent bad breath in an optimal way.

How do I use a tongue cleaner?

Start cleaning your tongue as far back as possible, or as comfortable for you. The last third of your tongue is where most of the bacteria are. The first time you clean your tongue, you may feel a gagging sensation. However, you can avoid it if you stick out your tongue before cleaning, hold it with your thumb and the tip of your tongue, or with a paper towel and pull it down. Then pull forward with the scraper two to three times. In between, rinse the scraper with water each time. When cleaning, you should only apply light pressure so that you do not damage the sensitive surface of your tongue.

If you clean the back of your tongue from the back to the front and only apply light pressure, you will not injure yourself. In addition, all edges and corners of the scraper are blunt and rounded.

You rinse the scraper after scraping and perform the movement again. You only need 10 to 20 seconds to clean your tongue. If you also use foam, you can apply it to your tongue immediately before scraping. You should clean your tongue at least once a day. The best time to do this is before brushing your teeth and before using mouthwash. For better results, you can repeat the process twice a day, in the morning and in the evening.

Why are tongue cleaners so useful?

When swallowing and speaking, the front part of your tongue comes into contact with the palate very often. Thanks to the frequent contact, this area of the tongue remains largely clean, in contrast to the rear area of the tongue. This is too far away from the palate, so it cannot be cleaned. In this way, food residues can settle there unhindered. Toothpaste can also only have a limited effect here so that your oral hygiene in this area is made considerably more difficult. This creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. The consequences can be bad breath and inflammation of the oral mucosa.

When cleaning the tongue, the taste buds are also cleaned, so the taste sensation will also improve significantly.

Accordingly, a tongue cleaner is always useful if you want to remove the coatings from your tongue with little effort. In addition, cleaning can also be a preventive measure against caries. Microorganisms can spread unhindered on your tongue and thus in the whole mouth if they are in an area where they are not disturbed by the toothbrush and where there is little oxygen.

How do I clean the tongue cleaner?

Your tongue scraper comes into contact with a lot of bacteria, so it gets covered with quite a few toxins and germs. These can get back into your mouth if you do not clean the tongue cleaner properly.

The best way to clean the scraper is to rinse it with water after each use and let it air dry. Once a week you should soak it in mouthwash or alcohol. This will kill the bacteria from the tongue cleaner, so you can always use a fresh scraper during the cleaning process. Some tongue cleaners are even dishwasher safe. It is also recommended that you replace the tongue cleaner like a toothbrush.

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What are the buying criteria and how can you compare the different tongue cleaners?

When buying a tongue cleaner, you should compare the following criteria to find the best tongue scraper that meets your needs:

• Material

The choice of material plays a special role when buying a tongue cleaner. You can choose between plastic, stainless steel or copper.

• Plastic tongue cleaner

Most of the tongue cleaners offered in drugstores are made of plastic. The advantage of plastic tongue cleaners is their low price. However, these devices do not last very long, as bacteria and plaque accumulate in the blades, and they have to be disposed of. Therefore, it is recommended to buy several pieces at once to have a small stock.

Advantages:

• Very cheap.
• Can be bought everywhere.
• Have knobs or slats.
• Are very soft.

Disadvantages:

• Do not last long.
• Less hygienic than stainless steel.

• Copper tongue cleaner

Copper tongue cleaners originate from Ayurvedic dental practice. These models are characterized by a long durability and, above all, by their antibacterial effect. You can recognize this type of tongue scraper first by its shape, as it has the shape of two copper rings.

Advantages:

• Antibacterial effect.
• Long durability.

Disadvantages:

• Contain neither knobs nor blades.

• Stainless steel tongue cleaner

High-quality tongue cleaners are primarily made of stainless steel. This material will last for many years and is also easy to clean and sturdy. The stainless steel tongue scraper has a round-shaped handle, so you can easily hold it in your hand. As far as the operation is concerned, it is no different from the devices made of plastic or copper.

Advantages:

• Lasts for a long time.
• Robust and easy to clean.
• Easy to hold in the hand.
• Does not rust.
• Very hygienic due to antibacterial effect of the fabric.

Disadvantages:

• Somewhat more expensive than plastic models.
• Mostly quite sharp.
• Do not have knobs or slats.

Shape

In the shape of the tongue cleaners we distinguish between classic-closed and ayurvedic-open.

• Classically closed tongue cleaners can optimally adapt to the shape of your tongue. However, they have the disadvantage that they are very often higher than ayurvedic tongue cleaners. In this way, their use leads much faster to gag reflex. However, you can reduce the gag reflex by holding the tongues with a paper towel.
• Open Ayurvedic tongue cleaners are flatter than the open ones and have the advantage of reaching the back of the tongue better. However, in exchange, the open tongue cleaners do not have flaps and nubs. For this reason, they are difficult to use in conjunction with toothpaste and do not stimulate the tongue.

As for the shape of the tongue cleaner, it should be as flat as possible. This way you avoid gag reflexes. However, ring-shaped models made of stainless steel are the most thorough here.

Surface

Some tongue cleaners are equipped with additional fins and nubs, which help to support the cleaning. Others are smooth and made of stainless steel. Which of these cleaners you choose depends solely on you. Sensitive people should go for a model made of plastic with nubs. A very sharp tongue cleaner, however, is suitable for those who have a rather stuck tongue coating and bad breath.

Nubs

Very high-quality tongue cleaners have additional nubs. These have the task of stimulating the tongue during cleaning. At the same time, you can use them to spread toothpaste on the tongue and massage it in. For this, however, they are usually less suitable for scraping the tongue. However, some tongue cleaners are equipped with different nubs. So you can use one nub to massage it in, while you can use the other to scrape it off. Therefore, when buying a tongue cleaner, you should pay special attention to the shape of the nubs.

Extras

Some models include an extra toothbrush in the package. Others offer antibacterial gels or special toothpastes for tongue cleaners. A small amount of this is applied to the tongue and supports the cleaning function. However, the individual nature of your tongue is responsible for how much a paste or gel actually contributes to cleaning.

As you can see, a tongue scraper is simply part of comprehensive oral care. With it, you do something against bacteria and bad breath in the long term. What’s more, the whole thing is very simple: after each tooth cleaning, remove the plaque from the tongue with the comfortable scraper and you’re done.