Tongue Scraping

[Guest Starbuck]

... and why are we not booking flights? =)

 

Big kiss from the West!

 

Long distance kiss back to you ... you made me smile, Juan. Never been to Vancouver, but had a nice few days on Vancouver Island once. Definitely getting the feeling it's time to revisit western Canada. Pardon the shameless flirting. I can't help myself.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

For variation, try a strawberry or rasberry mouthwash. Lots of fun can be had that way, as a prelude to putting something else in your mouth.

 

I must be unfocused when I'm shopping - I'm aware of mint and cinnamon washes, but neither of these flavors.

[freezy]

So Altoids and the like are not sufficient before a session?

[whipped guy]

A few months ago after a session with a favorite escort ended he suggested that we visit a local bar located around the corner from the place at which he was staying. When we got outside it was raining and we both huddled under the overhand of the building to keep dry. He then popped out a cigarette. I was totally stunned as I had been with this individual on multiple occasions and never ever got the impression that he was a smoker... and believe me when I say that I am very aware of not only a person's breath, but am nauseated by the smell and taste of smoke when kissing. This guy always had the freshest breath imaginable. In fact since we often discussed nutrition and other health related topics and he seemed to treat his body as some sort of sacred temple I was in fact doubly stunned. At any rate, he did mention that he was meticulous in his use of dental floss, an electric toothbrush, and Listerine. He also used a breath freshener. Plus, he always went out doors to smoke. As a result nothing about him or where he was staying reeked of tobacco.

 

No mention was made of a tongue scraper...

[Guest]

Please click to read/view.[/url]

 

As the saying goes: opinions are like assholes--everyone has one. I'm not saying I know what the data are as they pertain to tongue brushing or scraping in healthy individuals. But just hearing someone profess an unsubstantiated opinion is not enough for me to change my habits. If someone in this discussion knows of a randomized clinical trial which examines this issue, then we can look at the study and have an intelligent discussion. From a medical standpoint, I have only heard it as a recommendation for those with a condition called hairy tongue...

 

http://diseasespictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Black-hairy-tongue-9.jpg

 

http://www.nejm.org/na101/home/literatum/publisher/mms/journals/content/nejm/2006/nejm_2006.354.issue-1/nejmicm050117/production/images/large/nejmicm050117_f1.jpeg

 

http://www.fisheaters.com/forumpix/furrytongue.jpg

[whipped guy]

Not as gross looking as the "Hairy" version...

 

Actually my favorite is "Geographic Tongue":

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Geographic_tongue_(cropped).jpg/220px-Geographic_tongue_(cropped).jpg

 

http://www.mediscopyug.com/journal/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/geographic-tongue.jpg

 

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZWqgYBROGHw/TQd3Tvn6RII/AAAAAAAAB-s/6dpn0eoKBS4/s400/geo.bmp

 

Plus, the "geographic" patterns can be quite interesting as well...

[bigvalboy]

Actually my favorite is "Geographic Tongue":

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Geographic_tongue_(cropped).jpg/220px-Geographic_tongue_(cropped).jpg

 

http://www.mediscopyug.com/journal/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/geographic-tongue.jpg

 

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZWqgYBROGHw/TQd3Tvn6RII/AAAAAAAAB-s/6dpn0eoKBS4/s400/geo.bmp

 

Plus, the "geographic" patterns can be quite interesting as well...

....Dear Lord man. LMAO!!

[Steven_Draker]

Once I offered a client to take a shower before the session and he replied: "No need to. I'm fine"

 

Don't forget, folks, that we cannot smell our own body odors (and breath)

[Phil_musc]

At first I thought this was another example of American cleanliness paranoia, but after reading Juan's posting as well as some others, I'm not so sure. As a matter of fact, my confidence is shaken to its core. I'm feeling almost Biblical here and I'm ready to utter the famous disciple quote, "Master, is it I?"

 

But I need to tap into the collective, considerable wisdom here. I'm about to go out shopping. Where might I find a tongue scraper? Do I go to the local drug store or might I find this clever device in a hardware store, maybe in the automotive section by the windshield scrapers? If that's the case perhaps a trip to Pep Boys (love that name!) is in order.

 

By the way, those tongue pictures - especially the hairy tongue pics - just about caused me to lose my breakfast. And I don't care how neat some of you may think it is to have a tongue that looks like the western edge of Africa and the eastern edge of South America. It looks like a tongue with a disease to me. I don't even care if that tongue has been scraped clean as a whistle - it's not going anywhere near me.

[Guest verymarried]

I am cynical about dental schools and their products. My dentist also pooh-poohed tongue scrapers like he disregards hydrogen peroxide, both low budget items with some credibility. Many dentists are not into procedures or over the counter items where office visits and fees are not involved.

[Guest Starbuck]

Some of the resistance expressed here to a little additional oral hygiene baffles me. Sure, some of you guys may have nice breath without using a tongue scraper, but this is an inexpensive tool (you can get a scraper for a few bucks) that can only HELP (it can't HURT) your attractiveness to an intimate partner.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of dental professionals who don't care if you do everything you can to protect your oral health (pause for ONE SECOND to figure out why). Others dentists may feel that so many patients don't even floss regularly that trying to push ADDITIONAL oral health practices is futile.

 

Here's a link to the wikipedia page on tongue cleaners: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue_cleaner

 

It's especially worth reading for those of you who wondered about studies on the need for tongue cleaning. Consider this: "Scientific studies have shown tongue bacteria produce malodorous compounds and fatty acids, that may account for 80 to 95 percent of all cases of bad breath."

 

For me, there's also the issue of personal confidence. I have enough hang-ups about being ME with the kind of HIM that I want to be next to that I'm willing to go the extra mile on all aspects of hygiene.

[+ not2rowdy]

A Water-Pik or similar oral irrigator is another option.

[whipped guy]

I think that the bottom line is this: if you have a halitosis problem and using a brush or tongue scraper seems to alleviate the problem, and/or makes you feel more comfortable then go for it. There is probably not much difference using a brush vs. a scraper... though the scraper is definitely designed to be more efficient... and the long term effects of either might not be much better than doing nothing. However, as in all things "your mileage might vary..." Plus, it certainly can't hurt...

 

 

It probably would be better to investigate any possible underlying medical issue... as bad breath can come not only from the mouth, but from the sinuses, the digestive tract, or from a variety of medical conditions and medications.

[+ beethoven]

My oral pathology textbook disappeared some years ago. Unicorn, are you the guy that borrowed it?

[+ poolboy48220]

I was just at the dentist today and asked the hygienist/assistant about them, she recommended tongue scrapers highly. I didn't see one in the health section of my grocery store on the way home but it's on my list for the next trip to the drug store.

[Guest]

... that can only HELP (it can't HURT) ...

"Scientific studies have shown tongue bacteria produce malodorous compounds and fatty acids, that may account for 80 to 95 percent of all cases of bad breath."

 

It's amazing how one goes from the wikipedia entry In addition, decaying bacteria produce volatile sulphur compounds on the rear of the tongue; these molecules account for 80 to 95 percent of all cases of halitosis (bad breath) to "scientific studies have shown." The "article" indexed for the entry referred to a newspaper article which discussed some gal talking at the annual medical meeting of the American Association for Dental Research in Dallas. There is no peer-reviewed scientific study published in a dental or medical journal. "Tongue bacteria produce malodorous compounds and fatty acids, and account for 80 to 90 percent of all cases of bad breath," said Betsy Clark, a student at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Some cases of bad breath originate in the lungs or sinuses.

At best, the "study" showed an association of bad breath with S. moorei, which is not the same as causation. There was nothing is Ms. Clark's talk about tongue scraping. There is also nothing there to suggest that, even if S. moorei causes bad breath, that tongue scraping would get rid of the bacteria. Or, that some other treatment such as antimicrobial mouth rinses, might or might not be more effective. Maybe tongue scraping gets rid of more organisms which compete with S. moorei, and promotes growth of S. moorei. Does tongue scraping damage taste buds in the long run? Who knows? I certainly can't tell from a talk given by a dental student at some meeting in Dallas. One has to be very careful about what one reads on Wikipedia. There's a lot of junk there.

[whipped guy]

Regarding so called scientific studies... One needs to know who did the study, are they comparing apples to apples or apples to oranges, the sample size, the statistical relevance of the results , plus other factors.

 

This discussion reminds me of the situation a number of years ago when a reporter from I believe the Washington Post ended up at a dentist at the National Institute of Dental Research who advocated brushing with baking soda and peroxide to treat periodontal disease. The reporter not wanting to deal with the then traditional treatment modalities wrote and published a piece touting the benefits of such an approach. It was picked up by the wire services and the rest was history. The entire country was brushing with baking sods and peroxide. Arm and Hammer even went into the toothpaste business. To this day some individuals still are still following such recommendations.

 

It was only later that scientific studies really showed that it was all not what it was cracked up to be. At least that dentist had his key moment of fame.

[Steven_Draker]

I was just at the dentist today and asked the hygienist/assistant about them, she recommended tongue scrapers highly. I didn't see one in the health section of my grocery store on the way home but it's on my list for the next trip to the drug store.

 

Poolboy, you can find a tongue scraper in any self-respecting pharmacy.

[Juan Vancouver]

A Water-Pik or similar oral irrigator is another option.

 

While a water pick might be good enough for having a healthy mouth, it is not nearly enough to help you have a fresh, kissable breath.

 

I used to see a guy who was always very proud of his dental hygiene and complained that no escort wanted to kiss him. He had just grown to believe that it was because he was ugly. I was shocked when I finally met him because he was sexy! The minute he came to kiss me I understood what was the problem: the water pick.

 

I told him that and he disagreed. We didn't kiss. Next time we met, we went to have dinner before sex and instead of flossing, brushing and mint mouthwashing as I always do, I used his water pick. When he came to kiss me he immediately understood.

 

Floss, If you are up for it, scrape your tongue, brush correctly with mint toothpaste, gargle with blue listerine mouthwash.

 

This always works.

 

The only exception to this would be getting an ultrasonic tooth brush. Floss, scrape, ultrasonic brush, listerine mouthwash.

 

But again, if all your lovers are greedily kissing you, you must be fine. So you can totally ignore this advice.

[Mark Gordon]

I do find tongue scraping makes a difference. I like: www.orabrush.com