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Is Tongue Scraping Essential For Oral Hygiene? | Fayetteville, GA

woman with dental anxiety

It’s not the most settling thing to learn that your tongue harbors a myriad of bacteria, fungi, and food residue that contribute to your oral health, ability to properly taste food, and the actual color of it. Brushing or scraping our tongue is not the first thing we think to incorporate into our care routine, but it could go a long way to protect your peace of mind and improve your oral hygiene. Here are the things we think you should know about tongue scraping for your oral care.

The Basics

A tongue scraper is a U-shaped metal or plastic utensil designed to “scrape” the top layer of scum from your tongue. The residue left on your tongue after a meal or a full day includes the “bad” bacteria we don’t want in excess as they cause bad breath, increase your risk of periodontal disease, gingivitis and tooth decay, as well as contribute to poor heart health. When we remove these bacteria and fungi, we also reduce our risk of these bad bacteria negatively impacting our oral and overall health.

Proper Use

First, it doesn’t matter whether you scrape before or after cleaning your teeth. Once you’re ready, rinse your tongue and apply the scraper at the back of your tongue and drag forward. Rinse again and repeat. Be sure not to apply too much pressure, and to get all sides of your tongue.

If you have a dental procedure performed, ask your dentist whether or not you should continue tongue scraping as you recover. 

Get Scraping

You can inquire if your dentist has tongue scrapers available for patients, or you should be able to find one in your local grocery. They are relatively inexpensive, and can last for a long time with proper care. The material, color, and brand are all up to you – get one that you enjoy and get going!

To schedule an appointment or learn more about the beautiful smiles Dr. Sukari McMiller has created visit us online today at www.dreamworksdentalcare.com.

Dr. Sukari McMiller proudly serves patients from Fayetteville and all surrounding areas.

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Oral Care Accessories for Daily Care | Fayetteville, GA

woman smiling with perfect dental health

Today, oral care has advanced beyond the tried-and-true toothbrush, paste, and floss routine. There are a number of gadgets on the market specifically designed to fill whatever gaps you feel are present as you strive to enhance your smile. These means essentially fall into two categories; hygienic and aesthetic. Of course, a well-rounded oral care routine is the first step towards attaining the smile you want, but if your oral care routine is set, and you still aren’t seeing the results you want, aesthetic additions may do the trick.

Here are a few ways you can upgrade your existing tools or add to your care collection:

Hygienic

Electric Toothbrushes: Do you even complete your two-minute scrub and think “my teeth don’t feel very clean”? It may be because the traditional toothbrush just isn’t cutting it anymore. Electric toothbrushes have gained popularity because they are designed to provide brush strokes that work to give you a better clean in the same amount of time. It can go a long way to providing the basic care your teeth need.

Flossers: There are so many ways to floss available for your choosing. Traditional waxed or unwaxed threads are no longer the only options. Water flossers and plush threads are great alternatives (if not better alternatives) to the floss we commonly associate with.

Tongue Scraper: While there is no definitive rule that these need to be employed in your care routine, the benefit of incorporating one is the added removal of potentially harmful bacteria. Tongue scraping removes the same bacteria that feed on the sugars left between the teeth after a meal from the surface of the tongue, improving overall hygiene.

Aesthetic

At-Home Aligners: At-home aligners are an easy, effective means of straightening out your teeth for an enhanced aesthetic. While they aren’t meant for everyone, and you should speak with your dentist prior to incorporating at-home aligners into your oral care practices, they can gently move your teeth into their proper position and enhance your smile.

Whitening Trays: These work similarly to the teeth aligners mentioned above. Instead of working to straighten your teeth, however, you simply mold the trey to your teeth, brush on the included whitening solution to the inside of the tray and allow it to rest on your teeth for the prescribed amount of time. Kits are easily accessible and when done properly can make your smile up to a few shades whiter.

UV Light: This is another means of enhancing the color and brightness of your teeth. Typically, when you employ a UV light, you first brush on the whitening solution and allow the light to rest on that set of teeth for a number of minutes. The solution and light combination works to enhance your smile and can potentially do so up to a few shades whiter.

To schedule an appointment or learn more about the beautiful smiles Dr. Sukari McMiller has created visit us online today at www.dreamworksdentalcare.com.

Dr. Sukari McMiller proudly serves patients from Fayetteville and all surrounding areas.