DO I REALLY NEED?

This week: DenTek Orabrush Tongue Cleaner, £4.99, chemists and supermarkets THE manufacturer of this tongue cleaner claims that ‘up to 90 per cent of bad breath comes from odour-generating residue on the top of your tongue’. It says the DenTek Orabrush helps remove this residue.

The brush has flexible, pointed bristles designed to reach into the crevices of your tongue, while an additional scraper on the end ‘ collects and removes the bacteria and residue generated from brushing’.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘I’m not convinced about this statement that 90 per cent of bad breath is caused by the tongue,’ says Dr Ben Atkins, a dentist in Salford and trustee of the Oral Health Foundation. ‘However, the tongue is a source of plaque, so cleaning it is important. Also, your teeth and breath will feel cleaner.

‘Whether you use a tongue scraper or simply brush your tongue with your toothbrush is a matter of preference, though — I use my toothbrush to clean my tongue. If you’re worried about hygiene, rinse your brush or scraper in antibacterial mouth rinse afterwards.

‘And don’t forget that some toothbrushes also come with scrapers on the back.’