How Does A Mouth Detox Work? Here’s The Drill
Mouth detox techniques like tongue scraping and oil pulling may help reduce harmful mouth bacteria.
Much like a juice cleanse or other holistic techniques, a mouth detox aims to rid your mouth of disease-causing bacteria. Left unchecked, these microbes can lead to bad breath, plaque, gum disease, and other oral health conditions.
A mouth detox generally uses natural techniques like oil pulling and tongue scraping to ensure your mouth is clean, healthy, and free of yuckiness. Though it’s called “mouth detox,” it’s probably more accurate to consider it an additional cleansing method.
Flossing, brushing, and regular dental check-ups should still be your go-to’s for a clean smile. But if you’re interested in trying a mouth detox for a deeper clean, here’s how to get started.
How do you detox your mouth?
Here’s how eight different mouth detox techniques may help boost your oral hygiene.
1. Tongue scraping
Your tongue deserves as much attention as your teeth when it comes to a healthy mouth. The same food particles and bacteria that lurk between your teeth can also take up residence on your tongue.
In theory, scraping all the slimy gunk off your tongue with a curved plastic or metal scraper can benefit your oral health. This *might* mean developing fewer cavities and reducing your chance of gum disease.
Even though tongue scraping is popular, especially among folks who practice Ayurveda, there’s not much data to back its “detoxing” benefits. We do know it can definitely help your tongue look cleaner, and your mouth feel cleaner. But according to a 2017 study, it made no difference to mouth bacteria levels in peeps with gum infections.
2. Oil pulling
Oil pulling is another Ayurvedic practice that’s been around for thousands of years. Essentially, you use coconut oil as a mouthwash and swish it around your mouth for about 15 minutes. The key is to “pull” the oil through all the nooks and crannies in your teeth to get at all the nasties hiding there.
The idea here is that coconut oil and the lauric acid it contains have antimicrobial properties that reduce plaque and gingivitis. Good news, right? But there isn’t a huge amount of research confirming that it helps.