Clean Tongue, Happy Mouth: A Parent’s Guide to Tongue Scraping

​You want your child to have a healthy smile, so you may be making efforts to teach them the importance of regular brushing and flossing. Certainly, those habits are vital! However, you might accidentally overlook another practice that could play a role in keeping your child’s smile in great shape: tongue scraping. In this blog post, you will learn why it is so important and how you can assist your child with it.

The Benefits of Tongue Scraping

Keeping your child’s tongue clean via scraping can offer several benefits:

• Improved sense of taste. Having a clean tongue may make it easier for your child to distinguish between different taste sensations.
• Fight bacteria. Tongue scraping can remove harmful bacteria and food particles that might otherwise lead to cavities and gum disease.
• Support overall wellness. By removing harmful substances from your child’s tongue, you may prevent them from entering the rest of your child’s body.
• Fresher breath. A clean tongue can play a key role in preventing halitosis (bad breath).
• Improved appearance. Regular tongue scraping can prevent the tongue from developing a white, coated appearance.

Tongue Scraping Tips

Kids can usually start scraping their tongue around age 5. Before then, you may simply need to clean their tongue with a cloth. Here are some tips for effective tongue scraping for children:

• Demonstrate how tongue scraping works by placing the tongue scraper at the back of your child’s tongue. Gently press down and move the tool forward. Clean the entire surface of the tongue, rinsing the scraper after each swipe. When you finish, encourage your child to rinse their mouth with water or mouthwash. You should also show them how to clean their scraper with warm, soapy water after each use.
• Let them try scraping their own tongue. Depending on your child’s age and ability, it might take a bit of practice for them to get used to this habit. You may need to supervise them for a while and remind them to be gentle and thorough.
• Encourage consistency. Ideally, tongue scraping should be done twice a day.
• If your child complains about excessive discomfort, or the tongue scraper makes them bleed, it is okay to have them stop. Take them to visit a qualified pediatric dentist for advice.

Tongue scraping should be a regular part of your child’s oral hygiene routine! Do your best to encourage your young one to adopt this important habit.
Meet the Practice
Dr. Adrienne Archidiacono-Jeanis, known as Dr. Adrienne, is happy to work with families throughout the Aledo area. She strongly encourages tongue scraping due to its significant benefits. If you have questions about how you can make your child’s oral hygiene routine as effective as possible, she and our team would be pleased to speak with you. Contact our office at 817-406-2025.

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