OT: (sorry) tongue scraper

[Guest guest]

On this list or the technical list, some months back,

one of the posters discussed tooth brushing and

also using a tongue scraper. I post this under the

heading of " best health practices " , just in the hope

that it may contribute to others' life experience.

I recently tried the " tongue scraper " tool. My

conclusion is that, if this is a concern, this task

is best accomplished by using a baking-soda-

containing toothpaste, such as " Arm & Hammer

Advance White " . This is quite an abrasive tooth-

paste and in fact may be too abrasive for some

folk to use every day. However, i have found it

to be very good for toothbrush cleaning the tongue,

more effective and not nearly as disgusting (sorry)

as using the scraper thing. That was the result of

my experiment. Also, i mention that the regurgitate-

gag reflex is something you can unlearn through

repeated practice. This is the way some magicians

of old, for example Houdini, were able to swallow a

key on a string, to hide it, and then be able to pull

it up again, without the gag reflex. It is unlearned

( or better said, desensitized ) through practice.

Also BTW, i have found that for " sensitive teeth " ,

keeping a high calcium intake helps, even if that

may seem counterlogical. And among forms of

calcium, i find the easiest to use, least expensive

is dolomite powder, a chalky powder with a 2:1

calcium:magnesium ratio. I just sprinkle it on my

meal, to the tune of about 1500-200 mg a day. This

is just a small number of teaspoons. It has essentially

a neutral flavor. With the powder, you do not need

to be concerned with hard tablets, numbers of

capsules, maker's claims as to special potency of

one specific kind, etc.

The only maker i have found of dolomite powder is

KAL. I buy at the natural foods place, a 1 lb. bottle

for less than $6.00 One teaspoon is 1100 mg of

calium and about 600 mg magnesium. Beat that for

price and practicality! As for claims of special

bioavailability for some special formulations, i say,

BS! I can tell the dolomite source calicium is taken

up, by my fingernail and hair growth rate.

It is hard to find dolomite powder locally. I don't

think many people know that this simple and

cheap alternative is available, and also there's

probably not a lot of money in it for the maker,

and thus the retailer, since there's little value-

adding processing. Of course, there are internet

marketers who can supply it.

-Hue