Could tongue scraping be the key to improving your oral health?
I recently left my dentist and hygienist appointment feeling pretty smug. I am sure they have me labelled on my file as a hippy that asks too many questions about ingredients, worries about chemicals and says no a lot to their offerings. They always seem really surprised when, once again, since I have been with them; 5 years running, there has been no noticeable change to my teeth or oral health. Both the dentist and hygienist verbally exclaim their surprise as they note my gum inflammation grading at 0, which apparently is not very common.
Why the surprise? Because I am not using the toothpaste they recommend and I don't like the plastic floss sticks they sell. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by bacteria which, in some people cause severe inflammation and loss of bone around the teeth. Studies in the USA and the UK suggest that some degree of gingivitis affects 50–90% of adults.
So I thought I would share what I use and explain why. I may well be shot down for sharing but I must be doing something right! I have to make it clear I am not a dentist or an expert in oral health but these are the things I choose to use:
I have been scraping my tongue since I was introduced to Naturopathy 10 years ago and love this daily practice. It helps to dispel bad breath, stimulates your digestive system via the gastric reflex, helps to keep your oral microbiome in balance. I use a copper tongue scraper morning and night to clear my tongue of toxic build up and support rebalancing the oral microbiome. Copper is naturally antibacterial I use the tongue tingler from Jasmine Hemsley and recommend this to most of my clients.
I clean my teeth with Aloe Dent - Aloe Vera toothpaste
I use bamboo dental sticks or a good old fashioned wooden toothpick - I am super gentle with this.
I have just started oil pulling with Biona organic sesame oil (but that's a new addition and I love it). More details on oil pulling below.
What is tongue scraping?
This is an ancient Ayurvedic practice to clean the tongue by using a metal u-shaped tool to gently graze over the tongue a few times to lift off any toxic build up. Ayurveda believes that our tongue connects to several vital organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, spleen and stomach.
In a Naturopathic and Ayurvedic consultation you will often be asked to show your tongue for tongue analysis. You can see a lot from a tongue and one of the things is to observe whether there is a coating on the tongue. This is called Ama in Ayurveda and basically this is toxic debris. Sometimes it could be fungal overgrowth if it is particularly thick and white. A coating in the back of the tongue indicates that the toxicity is mostly in the colon. A coating in the middle of the tongue suggests that the toxins are throughout the gastrointestinal area.
I am also looking at the colour of the tongue, signs of vitamin or mineral deficiencies, the strength of digestion can sometimes be seen on the tongue as well as hydration, heat or inflammation. If there is bad breath then this might indicate a periodontal issue or oral fungal overgrowth so it is worth checking if there is anything underlying.
A tongue scraper can gently remove the toxic build up without damaging the tissue as tongue brushing might. By having this a part of your daily routine it can help to prevent toxic build up. Toxins can be from our food but also from poorly digested food and may have built up from poor elimination from the digestive tract. The back of the tongue tends to be where there is more bacterial activity. It is dryer at the back of the mouth and also often less disturbed so using a tongue scraper to gently clear from the back really helps to keep on top of any bacterial overgrowth and support a healthy oral microbiome. Too much bad bacteria in the oral microbiome can lead to gum inflammation and gum disease.
If there is too much coating over the tongue then digestive enzyme production can be impaired and this has a knock on effect on the digestive processes. By removing this coating regularly you will support healthy digestion as your taste buds will be more active in assessing what you are eating.
So why not add this simple practice to your daily routine when you clean your teeth. Just a few gentle strokes over the tongue and rinse and you’re done. Simple as that.
Do not use a tongue scraper if there are any sores or ulcers on the tongue.
Oil Pulling
I have also started oil pulling with organic sesame oil from Biona. This is a new practice I have learnt through Ayurveda.
Take a small amount of warmed oil, organic sesame oil or coconut oil are good choices and gently swish the oil around the mouth after tongue scraping and cleaning your teeth. Ayurveda recommends swishing the oil up to abut 20 minutes. I haven’t quite managed this yet, that feels like a long time, but as you become more accustomed you can build up the length of time. You could even do it in the shower or when getting dressed if you are tight for time. I then spit the oil out into some tissue and put it in the bin to prevent the oil building up in the pipework.
If you have metal fillings then do not swish the oil too vigourously. Just a gentle swish around the mouth is sufficient to get the benefits from this daily practice.
Sebastian Pole from Pukka Herbs recommends in his book A Pukka Life " A slightly quirky but nevertheless effective idea for balancing Vata is to hold some warm sesame oil in your mouth for three minutes (use about 1⁄4 cup). Although it sounds strange, it nourishes the mouth, strengthens the teeth, stops any bleeding, and prevents receding gums."
Vata is one of the three Ayurvedic doshas, or constitutions. It is made from the elements of Ether and Air. It is light, dry, and cold and its main home is in the large intestine.
During the autumn months, when the elements of Vata are high, we could all benefit from supporting Vata imbalance and so this is a simple little technique that we can do at home to restore balance and calm to the mind that also has all those amazing benefits to our oral microbiome.
We all need to be taking more care of our oral health and these are very simple techniques to support our oral microbiome which will also keep our teeth and gums healthy too. Your oral health is always a reflection on your gut health so if you have concerns about your oral health then do consider supporting your gut health too. It's all connected.
If you are concerned and would like further support please do consider booking in for a 1-to-1 consultation with me.