# Revealing Personal Hygine Query **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 27, 2001, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332 "2001-08-27T15:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/21 "2001-08-28T01:31:28Z")
I’m a tongue-brusher too - I don’t feel like I’ve brushed my teeth if I don’t give my tongue a quick once-over. ---
**Author:** ![Mortish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/54ee81/32.png) [@Mortish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortish)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/22 "2001-08-28T01:44:19Z")
I also brush my tongue and the insides of my mouth, and I’ve taught my 4 year old to do the same. We floss regularly too. I have seen too many horror pictures of what the inside of my mouth could look like if I neglect to clean it properly! ---
**Author:** ![thermalribbon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@thermalribbon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thermalribbon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/23 "2001-08-28T02:05:44Z")
I’m all over the tongue-brushiing. I was taught that the tongue is way nastier than the teeth and what’s between them. In order to curb gagging while brushing the tongue, try breathing thru the nose only. If you breathe thru your mouth while brushing the tongue, certain gagging to follow ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/24 "2001-08-28T02:48:08Z")
Tongue, teeth, inside cheeks, and gums brusher checking in. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/25 "2001-08-28T03:50:47Z")
I always brush my tongue. When my tongue gets fuzzy (not hairy fuzzy like those pictures, but more “just finished a pineapple popsicle” fuzzy) and my teeth get fuzzy and my breath feels stinky, I make sure to brush everything. But after reading this thread, I’m gonna start on the roof of my mouth too. Makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/26 "2001-08-28T04:04:57Z")
I brush my tounge. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/27 "2001-08-28T08:49:53Z")
I brush my tongue because I don’t want my breath to stink. ---
**Author:** ![Damhna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Damhna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damhna)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/28 "2001-08-28T09:14:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Podkayne \* > \*\*…I heard it was a good idea and tried it, but it made me gag. I’d heard it’ll make you gag, but you’d get used to it. So I kept it up for a week. I was still gagging at the end of the week, so I decided it wasn’t worth the effort. I have a very aggressive gag reflex, I guess. \*\* You sure it was tongue brushing he was trying to convince you to do ? Sorry. 🙂 **Delphica** I did notice a difference immediately. Coffee took a lot longer to taste like itself in the morning. 🙂 Other than that I can saw only that it _feels_healthier. My mouth thinks its a nicer place to be. It makes perfect sense I guess but it just wasnt common practise for many people I know and wouldnt have occured to me. Ill experiment with brushing the inside of my cheeks next **whiterabbit** and i suspect it will soon become part of my daily routine … thanks a heap for an added bathroom function to perform. I still haven’t forgiven the guy who pointed out that it makes sense to wash your hands _before_ you unsheath the equipment used in uriniating as well as after. If I ever get out of the bloody bathroom I’ll hunt you down and point out the benefits of rinsing your eyeballs every ten minutes or something . ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/29 "2001-08-28T16:51:45Z")
Get a tongue-scraper, they are fantastic and cheap and your mouth will be much happier! ---
**Author:** ![nerv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@nerv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerv)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/30 "2001-08-28T17:20:04Z")
I’m a tongue-brusher too! It’s a habit I started after, believe it or not, seeing a rather avant-garde play. It was a long time ago, and i don’t remember much other than stroboscopic lighting, no dialogue, and naked bodies falling on umbilical cords from above the stage. Also, at one point the male character thought he was about to get off with the female character (who was actually his twin from the umbilical scene) and so he cleaned his teeth and gave a quick scrub to his tongue. I thought “Hey, that’s a good idea,” (tongue-scrubbing, not sleeping with your twin) and have done it ever since (tongue-scrubbing, not sleeping with your twin). ---
**Author:** ![nerv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@nerv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerv)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/31 "2001-08-28T17:22:30Z")
BTW, the Eternal Nervpartner™ is now an adherent of this practice after being introduced to it by me. ---
**Author:** ![Gundhilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@Gundhilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundhilde)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/32 "2001-08-28T18:05:23Z")
Yes, my tongue is cinnamon-fresh indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/33 "2001-08-28T18:42:23Z")
I almost always brush my tongue, but I wouldn’t consider it habit. It makes my mouth feel much fresher. Lovely. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/34 "2001-09-07T03:31:27Z")
Once I discovered jellyfish, I determined never again to use a washcloth. Jellyfish work up a big dramatic lather; they scrub like they mean it, and they don’t aggravate your skin. Plus, you can toss them in the wash and don’t have to put them in the dryer. I never knew what to do with washcloths: you can’t put them in the hamper wet, but I always forgot to add them when I was loading the washing machine, so I ended up with a morass of soggy washcloths breeding in the tub. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/35 "2001-09-07T14:40:22Z")
My name is Nym. I am a tongue brusher and I have **NO** idea what the above post is about. ---
**Author:** ![freckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47c2d/32.png) [@freckles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckles)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/36 "2001-09-07T14:50:19Z")
I am also a tongue brusher! ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/37 "2001-09-07T15:30:02Z")
Tongue-brusher here, too. The practice that I was never aware of was demonstrated by an ex of mine. She used to put pure peroxide in her mouth, swish it around, and spit it out before brushing. I tried it. Ack! Though I still do it on occasion. Just make sure not to swallow it… ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/38 "2001-09-07T16:03:31Z")
My wife does it. I’ve tried many times but it makes me gag just like Podkayne. BTW, my grandfather threw up every morning after brushing his teeth for 80 years. So when I start to gag on my toothbrush, I figure my teeth/tounge/whatever are better off a little dirty but not swamped with copious amounts of stomach acid. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Stella\_Fantasia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@Stella\_Fantasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stella_Fantasia)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/39 "2001-09-07T18:58:10Z")
I am a compulsive brusher of teeth, tongue, insides of cheeks, etc. I can’t sleep at night unless I’ve brushed. It’s pathological! But on the positive side, I have never had a cavity. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332/40 "2001-09-07T19:17:55Z")
In _The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga_, Swami Vishnu-Devananda tells about one of the elementary principles of yoga that has to be practiced before advancing to the higher levels: cleanliness. The he broke down the various kinds of cleanliness, one of which is _danta sauca_, toothcleaning. He said the obvious: “Cleaning the teeth is commonly practiced by civilized man.” Under this heading also comes tongue brushing or tongue scraping, and gum massaging. It’s important to massage the gums to press out the yuck that collects there too. Also he said when cleaning the mouth to use fingertips to wipe the back of the throat. I know you’re saying “_Whaa?_ No way, I would gag and puke for sure.” Well, folks, I tried it and now it’s become an everyday habit for me and I swear I haven’t gagged once. The trick is to do it so rapidly and gently that your throat doesn’t even notice it. And you know it really works to get phlegm out of the throat that otherwise sticks there and can be hard to get rid of. As for self-induced pukes, yes, you guessed it, that is another yoga practice, for cleaning the stomach. I personally haven’t tried it yet. People who’ve done it tell me it’s preferably done at the seashore around sunrise first thing in the morning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revealing-personal-hygine-query/78332.md?page=3)