Brush and floss your teeth first, and then gently brush your tongue using a soft-bristled brush moistened with water. You can use your regular toothbrush, or you can purchase a special “tongue brush” which has shorter bristles meant to better clean the crevices of the tongue. [1] X Research source Begin brushing the tongue toward the tip, working in small circular motions. Gradually work your way back toward the back of the throat, rinsing the brush periodically. Stop short of the area that triggers the gag reflex. If you gag, you’ve gone too far.
Hold your toothbrush perpendicular to your tongue, brushing from the side. Putting your toothbrush in the long way will make it easier to “slip” into the overly sensitive danger zone, and makes your toothbrush less likely to crowd the back of the throat and induce a gag. Push the tongue down hard into the lower part of the mouth behind the teeth as you brush it. As soon as the tongue starts to wobble, stop, give it a few moments to retrieve your strength and try again. Exhale through your mouth while brushing your tongue. At the same time, relax your tongue and throat muscles as much as possible. Keep practicing until it becomes a normal habit.
Distract yourself with pain. Clench the fingers of one of your hands into a fist, gently digging your nails into your palm. Don’t hurt yourself badly, just enough to distract yourself from the gag reflex. Distract yourself with thoughts. Before you begin brushing your teeth, find a riddle or difficult math problem to solve. While you begin to gently brush your tongue, starting in the front, mentally focus on the riddle or problem and try to solve it as you work your way back to the back of your tongue. Don’t go too far back, and you might find that the mental distraction helped to alleviate the gag reflex.
A tongue scraper is a small tool made of plastic or metal that gently removes debris and plaque from the tongue. [2] X Expert Source Tu Anh Vu, DMDBoard Certified Dentist Expert Interview. 20 May 2020. To use a tongue scraper, place its edge toward the back of your tongue and gently pull forward. Repeat as needed to cover the surface of the tongue, rinsing between scrapes. [3] X Research source To reduce the gagging reflex, simply do not place the tongue scraper as far back into your mouth as you use it. Find the farther point you can place it without gagging, and start there.
Take a normal length of dental floss and drag it down across your tongue. This works well for individuals with a particularly high gag reflex, but it does not remove as much debris from the tongue as other methods. As with the tongue scraper, to reduce the gag reflex you will need to find the farthest distance back on the tongue that you can place the floss without gagging.
Use a soft, clean washcloth and moisten it with warm water. You can add a bit of toothpaste if you like, but it isn’t necessary, especially if the taste of the toothpaste contributes to your gag reflex. Wrap the cloth around one finger and gently rub the surface of the tongue to remove plaque and debris. Go as far back on the tongue as you can without gagging, rinsing the cloth periodically.
Look for an antimicrobial mouthwash containing fluoride and alcohol. Be sure to rinse the teeth for 30 seconds then spit the mouthwash out completely. Do not drink water or rinse the teeth for at least 30 minutes after using mouthwash. Brands like Listerine Total Care are effective at reducing bacteria in the mouth and leaving the breath fresh. [4] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Ask your dentist about a prescription for an oral rinse of chlorhexidine gluconate. Using this twice a day may eliminate the need for tongue brushing and help you battle gingivitis.
The teeth gather plenty of bacteria themselves, but unlike the teeth, the tongue is not a smooth surface. It follows that even more bacteria accumulate in the taste-buds and small pits on the tongue. [5] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Just rinsing the mouth with water is insufficient to remove the bacteria on the tongue, primarily because the bacteria gather in what is called a “biofilm”– a sticky, gooey, living layer of bacteria. It must be disrupted by rubbing or scraping to fully remove it. [6] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Removing bacteria from the tongue is always important, but it’s especially crucial if you need to heal cracks that developed on your tongue. Food occasionally gets stuck on your tongue. Scraping or brushing your tongue removes this food and keeps your mouth clean. [7] X Expert Source Tu Anh Vu, DMDBoard Certified Dentist Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
Tongue brushing can also remove traces of odorous foods like garlic and onions, which can also improve your breath. Many people with bad breath are not aware that they have it. It’s a good idea to practice good oral hygiene, including regularly cleaning the tongue, in order to reduce the chance that you are one of them.
Foods containing dyes like cupcakes, lollipops, or popsicles can temporarily dye the surface of the tongue. Brushing the tongue can reduce the coloration of the tongue, making it less noticeable to others. Some illnesses like oral thrush or syphilis can cause a buildup of bacteria or fungi on the tongue that cause a filmy, white appearance. In some cases, the white film cannot be brushed off. Be sure that you see your doctor if you suspect that your filmy tongue is caused by an illness. [9] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source Certain medications like antibiotics or Pepto-Bismol as well as certain illnesses can also cause a startling discoloration of the tongue called “black hairy tongue,” which is caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the mouth. The condition is not serious and the discoloration can be brushed off with a toothbrush or washcloth, although it might be a good idea to see your doctor to determine the cause.
