Hi! I have been eating raw for a little over 2 weeks now, and I just started noticing a bad taste in my mouth all the time (and I'm sure bad breath too). I feel like I also have a slight white coating on my tongue . I have been brushing, flossing, and rinsing more than usual. I have heard that this can be a part of the detox. Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, how long did it last? Also, does anyone know anything else that I can do for the bad breath? Like, natural, raw things to chew on that can help make it less embarrassing?

Thanks for any responses!

That white coating on the tongue is part of detox and can last for a long time. You can get a tongue scraper or brush it off if you want to.

yep, its detox! isn't that exciting, your body is jettisoning some nasty crap?!?

the tongue scraper helps with the tongue fuzzies. for the dragon breath, you can chew on parsley, cloves, or mint leaves; make a homemade mouthwash with water, baking soda, and 3% hydrogen peroxide; brush your mouth (teeth, tongue and gums) with baking soda and/or tea tree oil...

good luck!

Thanks! That's helpful, and yes it is super cool to see my body reacting to raw foods even though I had a healthy diet to start with (as healthy as the Vegan cooked food diet could be).

Don't tongue scrapers damage your taste buds? I've always just brushed my tongue when I brush my teeth. It's MUCH more effective, in my opinion.

serious detox tongue fuzz calls for measures far tougher than the toothbrush. a chain saw might work.

but seriously, i've used my tongue scraper for 7 months, and i don't think i've damaged any tastebuds. they would be red and inflamed if i had, and that isn't the case.

Check it out:

The Effects of Daily Mechanical Tongue Scraping vs. Daily Mechanical Tongue Brushing on Bacterial Flora -- Ronald E. Mangie, B.S. Bacteriology, D.D.S

Results:

Bacterial counts:

Individuals who scraped their tongues displayed a significantly lower total Strep Salivarius count than individuals who brushed their tongues. Furthermore, no apparent damage to the tongue tissue or the taste buds was observed.

Clinical studies:

The tongues of the patients who scraped were significantly cleaner and pinker than the tongues of patients who brushed. Additionally, the individuals who brushed their tongues often complained of gagging, choking and other discomforts, while the number of these complaints from the individuals who scraped their tongues were significantly less.

Cleaner Taste:

A related significant discovery of the study is that those subjects who scraped their tongues reported a cleaner, fresher taste in the mouth, and a marked improvement in the taste of food. Similar sensations were not reported by the subjects who brushed their tongues.

maui_butterfly Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> serious detox tongue fuzz calls for measures far
> tougher than the toothbrush. a chain saw might
> work.
>
> but seriously, i've used my tongue scraper for 7
> months, and i don't think i've damaged any
> tastebuds. they would be red and inflamed if i
> had, and that isn't the case.
>
> Check it out:
>
> The Effects of Daily Mechanical Tongue Scraping
> vs. Daily Mechanical Tongue Brushing on Bacterial
> Flora -- Ronald E. Mangie, B.S. Bacteriology,
> D.D.S
>
> Results:
>
> Bacterial counts:
>
> Individuals who scraped their tongues displayed a
> significantly lower total Strep Salivarius count
> than individuals who brushed their tongues.
> Furthermore, no apparent damage to the tongue
> tissue or the taste buds was observed.
>
> Clinical studies:
>
> The tongues of the patients who scraped were
> significantly cleaner and pinker than the tongues
> of patients who brushed. Additionally, the
> individuals who brushed their tongues often
> complained of gagging, choking and other
> discomforts, while the number of these complaints
> from the individuals who scraped their tongues
> were significantly less.
>
> Cleaner Taste:
>
> A related significant discovery of the study is
> that those subjects who scraped their tongues
> reported a cleaner, fresher taste in the mouth,
> and a marked improvement in the taste of food.
> Similar sensations were not reported by the
> subjects who brushed their tongues.

Well, you've just converted me. One question though - How do you get all the way to the back, where it builds up the most/thickest? Sure, brushers gag, but anyone who gets all of the gunk in the back, with a scraper, would surely gag, too.

it usually only takes one good back-of-house scrape, which is probably equivalent to 20 brush scrubs. you can usually overcome the gag reflex for that one scrape, but if you had to do it multiple times in a row, you probably WOULD gag.

Since I'm new to the whole tongue scraping bonanza, can you recommend a good one or would a general potato peeler work? LOL

I use one that came with my "Interplak" brandname water jet (like a waterpik) as an attachment. I also have one that is like a thin strip of metal and I have heard of people using a kitchen spoon. After reading this thread and thinking about it I am going to experiment with both tongue scraping and brushing in the same clean up and see if they work well together. Possibly scraping first followed by brushing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2008 07:52PM by EZ rider.

i just use the thin strip of metal type. but i agree, a kitchen spoon would probably work great! definitely scrape before brushing...

I've tried the kitchen spoon idea before and that got the bulk of it, but not nearly as much as brushing does. Hmmm.. I'm going to the Health Food Co Op tonight. I'll have to check out the scrapers. I've never had a problem brushing and getting it all though (being the perfectionist I am). But, I'm curious about the scraper now.