# TMI: the gunk at the back of my tongue

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 16, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520 "2016-06-16T13:46:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/1 "2016-06-16T13:46:39Z")

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Occasionally, even after brushing my teeth, my mouth still tastes foul, and I end up using a [tongue scraper](https://www.biocurv.com/home) to rake a thick film of…something off of the back of my tongue.

What exactly is it that I’m scraping off? Is it mostly food with a few bacteria working overtime to generate foul effluent, or is it a dense bacterial mat containing relatively little leftover food?

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/2 "2016-06-16T15:16:57Z")

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Food, bacteria, mucus, saliva, & shed epithelial cells mostly. Proportions may vary from mouth to mouth, depending on habits and underlying conditions.

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/3 "2016-06-16T15:17:17Z")

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I’m not sure, but you really should talk to your dentist about it.

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/4 "2016-06-16T16:32:29Z")

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> [@Machine\_Elf](#):
>
> Occasionally, even after brushing my teeth, my mouth still tastes foul, and I end up using a [tongue scraper](https://www.biocurv.com/home) to rake a thick film of…something off of the back of my tongue.
> 
> …

Cool gadget. But–seriously–I didn’t see the price, but, even though you already own one, could these be used, and for much cheaper?

[https://www.sculpturehouse.com/s-96-modeling-tools-and-sets.aspx](https://www.sculpturehouse.com/s-96-modeling-tools-and-sets.aspx)

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/5 "2016-06-16T16:49:39Z")

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> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> Cool gadget. But–seriously–I didn’t see the price, but, even though you already own one, could these be used, and for much cheaper?
> 
> [https://www.sculpturehouse.com/s-96-modeling-tools-and-sets.aspx](https://www.sculpturehouse.com/s-96-modeling-tools-and-sets.aspx)

[There’s a bunch out there, and prices vary;](https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tongue+sweeper) mine was $14. Given the choice, I’d opt for the one I’ve got, which is a single stamped piece of stainless steel. Easier to clean after use.

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**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/6 "2016-06-16T17:02:12Z")

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Wow! Those prices are outrageous. Get yourself to an ethnic Indian store and buy them super cheap. Should be something like a dollar for a bunch. Almost every single person in/from India uses them.

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/7 "2016-06-16T17:11:57Z")

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They’re that much into clay modeling?

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tmi-the-gunk-at-the-back-of-my-tongue/757520/8 "2016-06-16T21:53:59Z")

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> [@dolphinboy](#):
>
> I’m not sure, but you really should talk to your dentist about it.

Not to mention your sex partner(s).