Curious if I'm alone here—does anyone else have a weird relationship with tongue scrapers? I keep seeing them hyped up as game-changers for oral hygiene, but honestly, I can't decide if they're worth the fuss or just another thing cluttering my bathroom drawer. Sometimes it feels oddly satisfying, like peeling glue off your hands as a kid. Other times, I gag so hard I question all my life choices (maybe that's TMI).
Quick poll for the curious minds:
- Love them, use every day
- Use sometimes, but could live without
- Tried it, hated it (gag city)
- Never bothered/too weirded out
I’m somewhere between “use sometimes” and “gag city”—depends on the day. Also, is there a trick to making it less…intense? Or is this just one of those things you get used to? Would love to know if anyone actually saw a big difference in breath or taste. Or maybe you just forget about it after a week like me.
What’s your verdict—are tongue scrapers a staple or a skip?
I totally relate to the gag struggle—sometimes I feel like I'm just torturing myself for no reason. The only thing that’s helped me is starting way further forward on my tongue than I thought I should, and working back super slowly. If I rush or go too far back, forget it... instant regret. I do notice my breath is better when I stick with it, but honestly, it’s easy to fall off the habit. For me, it’s a “nice to have” but not a must-do every single day. Maybe that’s just my anxious brain looking for shortcuts, though.
If I rush or go too far back, forget it... instant regret.
That made me laugh because I’ve been there more times than I can count. The gag reflex is no joke. I’ve tried a few different scrapers over the years—plastic, metal, even one with these weird little bristles—and honestly, none of them made it much easier if I went too far back. Starting at the tip and easing back slowly seems to be the only way for me too. Do you ever notice that some days are just worse than others with the gagging? For me, if I’m tired or stressed, even brushing my teeth can set it off.
You mentioned “nice to have” versus “must-do”—I get that completely. I used to beat myself up about skipping a day, but honestly, as long as my mouth feels fresh and my dentist isn’t giving me grief about my breath or tongue coating, I try not to stress. Have you ever had your hygienist comment on your tongue? Mine did once and that’s what got me started with scraping in the first place. She said it could help with that “morning mouth” feeling, but she also told me not to torture myself over it.
I will say, on days when I do stick with it, my mouth does feel cleaner. But then again, there are mornings when just getting through brushing and flossing feels like enough of an accomplishment. Maybe it’s just about finding what works for you without making it another thing to stress over? Sometimes I wonder if we put too much pressure on ourselves with all these “extra” steps.
Anyway, you’re definitely not alone in the struggle. If you find a trick that makes it easier, let me know—I’m always looking for ways to make this stuff less of a hassle.
But then again, there are mornings when just getting through brushing and flossing feels like enough of an accomplishment.
Honestly, that’s me every school morning with my kid. I’d love to say we do all the “extras” but some days it’s a miracle we even get teeth brushed without a meltdown. I do notice my kid’s breath is way better when we’re on top of scraping, though. Anyone else’s dentist ever say it’s more important for kids, or is that just ours being picky?
My dentist is all about the tongue scraper for kids, too, but honestly, I think it’s just another thing for me to buy. I mean, does it really make that big a difference if you’re already brushing? If it actually saves me from buying extra mouthwash or gum, maybe it’s worth it... Has anyone noticed if their kids get fewer “bad breath” comments at school when they use one? That’s the only thing my kid seems to care about.
