Does tongue scraping help promote proper oral hygiene? We asked a dentist

Does tongue scraping work?

The short answer: Yes

You brush and floss your teeth and gargle with mouthwash twice a day, but are you as diligent when it comes to cleaning your tongue? Tongue cleaning is said to be essential to oral hygiene, but if you did not do it regularly, would it make a difference to the overall health of your mouth?

According to Dr Sandeep Jain, a dentist based in Lan Kwai Fong, the answer is yes. “When you clean your mouth, why would you just stop at your teeth?” he asks. “Proper oral hygiene involves cleaning the entire oral cavity – teeth, gums, and the tongue.”

A clean and healthy tongue is bright pink and has a smooth texture, without any cracks (although there are some conditions, like “geographic tongue” that may cause reddish or white patches on the surface of the tongue, but they are harmless). On the other hand, a tongue that’s covered in bacteria will often have a yellowish-white coating on it. Your tongue may also feel filmy or furry, and you may experience an unpleasant metallic taste.