Functional medicine focuses on the body as a complete ecosystem, and the body as a whole looking into the root cause of disease. Ayurvedic medicine believes everything in life is connected and focuses on lifestyle and natural treatments also. One of those treatments is tongue scraping. When we first heard about it (and saw it), we were a little weirded out. But once we started doing it, the results immediately showed themselves and now it is impossible to stop. Once you “see it”, you can’t “unsee it”.
Like many, I have come to believe that the mouth is the gateway to health. Not only what we put into our mouth matters, but the overall health of our mouth and it’s precious ecosystem matters also. Everything is connected. The Ayurvedic tongue examination helps assess “status of digestion” by visually inspecting the tongue’s color, shape, and coating. This is a fascinating topic we’ll address in the future.
Ayurvedic practices recommend cleansing the tongue to keep it healthy by doing what’s called “tongue scraping.” Our family has learned the benefits of this practice, and do it daily to remove bacteria and toxins that build up overnight. Tongue scraping is done by extending the tongue as far out as possible and using a tongue scraper or spoon to gently scrape from as far back on the tongue as comfortable. Then simply use one long stroke to pull it forward and remove any coating on the tongue. We learned it’s important to only do this in the morning before brushing, and on an empty stomach. I can guarantee once you start doing this practice, you will become addicted to getting that stuff off your tongue every morning—agh!
Some holistic dentists and doctors also recommend something called oil pulling. This is taking 1-3 tsp raw cold pressed organic coconut oil in your mouth and swishing it around for 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning after you tongue scrape and before even brushing your teeth. When finished, simply spit it out on a tissue so not to clog your drain, and rinse. We learned the benefits of oil pulling include strengthening and whitening teeth, healing gums, addressing bad breath, and detoxifying the body. We learned this can be done 3 times a week. People have started seeing the benefits of this practice after only a couple of weeks.
Some holistic dentists also recommend checking your oral bacteria to ensure you have the right good bacteria and address the bad bacteria. Many recommend using homemade toothpaste that does not contain fluoride and harsh chemicals. See our recipe on page 293 of “The Year I Stopped Wearing A Bra – “How” We Got Our Health Back”. They will also recommend not sleeping with your mouth open at night—did you know it’s possible to buy mouth tape for this purpose? When was the last time your dentist discussed any of these unbelievably simple and cost-effective tips with you?
Cover photo by Tony Litvyak on Unsplash