7 Best Tongue Scrapers to Improve Your Oral Hygiene

To choose the best tongue scrapers, we consulted dentists that know a thing or two about dental hygiene, as well as researched models of different shapes, materials and price points. When choosing tongue scrapers we considered factors such as:

✔️ Material: The two materials commonly used to make tongue scrapers that we recommend considering are stainless steel and plastic. Stainless steel is the most common material because it’s bendable, durable and easy to clean. Plastic is more affordable and doesn’t have a metallic taste but needs to be disposed of more frequently.

“I prefer the stainless steel ones because they’re more antibacterial,” says Dr. Lilya Horowitz, D.D.S., F.A.G.D., a dentist and owner of Domino Dental. “But it really depends on your comfort level.”

Copper is also a commonly used material in tongue scrapers, but we don't recommend them. According to Birnur Aral, Executive Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab, copper can be toxic if swallowed.

✔️ Handle: We looked into the size of the handle and the material to determine how comfortable it would be to hold. While most people aren’t tongue scraping for very long, without a proper grasp of the handle it can be challenging to target different areas on the tongue.

✔️ Shape: You'll likely see two common shapes: U-shaped scrapers can run down the tongue in one swipe but because they're wider, it can be harder to target the back of the month. They have two handles which allow for better dexterity. Smaller single-hand scrapers that resemble a toothbrush are useful for targeting different parts of the tongue but require more individual scraps, making the process take longer. Because they're smaller, they also allow you to reach back further into your mouth to target the back of the tongue. Just be careful not to trigger your gag reflex!

✔️ Ease of Cleaning: You should always wash your tongue scraper after each use with toothpaste and hot water. Some brands also suggest soaking them in denture cleaner or mouthwash.

✔️ Brushes: Some tongue scrapers have added bristles to scrub your tongue. While scraping is more effective at pulling the bacteria off your tongue, brushing can give the feeling of cleanliness and can be used to remove any stuck-on debris.

✔️ Case: If you plan to travel with your tongue scraper, getting one with a travel case will ensure it remains sanitary. If your scraper doesn’t come with one, you can always place it in a plastic baggie when on the go.

✔️ Age: Think about the age and the size of the month using the scraper. A larger U-shape scraper might be challenging for kids to hold and run across their tongues. Metal options also might be too abrasive for those with sensitive tongues.

✔️ Sensitivity: If you don’t like the feeling of metal on your tongue, it's best to opt for a plastic option. Additionally, those with a sensitive gag reflex should avoid smaller scrapers that can reach too far back on their tongue.

A tongue scraper seems pretty straightforward — simply run the scraper along the tongue to remove a film of bacteria and debris. “They help remove the bacteria on the surface of the tongue,” Dr. Horowitz says. “It also sometimes helps remove that white coating from the tongue. It helps with bad breath because the bad breath is caused by the bacteria.”

To use a tongue scraper, hold it by the handles and place it on the narrowest, rounded part near the back of your tongue. Then, gently pull it towards the tip of your tongue without pushing down too hard to pull the debris forward. Wipe the scraper with a tissue or run it under water to clear the debris and repeat if necessary.

According to Dr. Horowitz, you can tongue scrape twice a day as part of your tooth brushing routine, but once a day should also be fine. Just be sure to wash your tongue scraper after each use. Additionally, you should replace your plastic tongue scraper every three months, says Dr. Palomo, just as you would with a toothbrush.

“Just like whether you should brush first or floss first, the same sort of argument exists around tongue scraping," Dr. Palomo says. The goal of tongue scraping is to remove both bacteria and debris, which can be brought to the tongue through brushing and flossing. That’s why she recommends using it as the last step in your oral hygiene routine.

This roundup was written by contributing writer Courtney Campbell, a longtime product reviewer, who selected products based on hours of research and interviews with dental health experts.