Steel tongue scraper, used for oral hygiene, India, 2012-2015
How do you start your day? For thousands of years, tongue scrapers like this have played a key role in many people’s daily routines. The Charaka Samhita, one of the earliest surviving Ayurvedic medical texts, recommends tongue scraping to improve oral hygiene. However, within Ayurvedic medical practice it is also thought to be good for general wellbeing and particularly to promote good gut health and digestion. Ayurveda is one of the oldest and most widely practiced of the many traditional medical systems in India. The term Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge) and it looks holistically at both physical and mental health. Tongue scrapers are still commonly used, both by followers of Ayurvedic medical practices and increasingly as an eco-friendly addition to oral hygiene routines.
Details
- Category:
- Dentistry
- Object Number:
- 2025-937
- Materials:
- steel (metal)
- Measurements:
-
overall: 150 mm x 90 mm x 10 mm,
- type:
- tongue scraper
- credit:
- Donated by Wellcome Collection
