Tongue scrapers are metal or plastic devices used to clean the surface of the tongue. Tongue scraping can help when “you have a lot of bacteria and film on your tongue,” Kosdon said. A few medical studies support the use of tongue scraping for getting rid of tongue bacteria and bad breath, but the studies were mostly small and didn’t show strong results. The few clinical trials available found a slightly greater benefit in using tongue scrapers for tongue cleaning than toothbrushing, but these effects were temporary. Consider starting in the middle rather than trying to stick the tongue scraper all the way to the back of the tongue.

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Persons: Jocelyn Solis, Moreira, Michael Kosdon, “, ” Kosdon, you’re, Alice Boghosian, Boghosian, Kosdon, It’s, ” Boghosian, “ It’s, ” Organizations: CNN, American Dental Association Locations: New York, Manhattan