We are very excited to announce that C.O.Bigelow of Sixth Avenue, New York now stocks the AMANO range (and sells it on their website).

As they say on their stylish website:

Our landmark apothecary has been providing prescriptions, healing remedies, unique and unusual beauty products and hard to find apothecary items since 1838.

Indeed Eleanor Roosevelt was a customer in the 1940s and Thomas Edison soothed a sore finger there in the 1880s.

Check out the rich and noble C.O.Bigelow heritage here:

On display in the Big Apple

Tenuous maybe - but we are wondering if C.O.Bigelow would consider adding Founding Father and First President, George Washington, to their Presidential gallery of fame...?

Well he was a very keen tongue scraping advocate and amazingly his ornate scraper can still be seen at Mount Vernon.

To keep the tradition bang up to date - we think it would be highly appropriate (and an honour) to send President Obama a Limited Edition Original AMANO 1992 ...

(Does anyone happen to know his mailing address ?)

Hot off the press - the XI European Periodontology conference in Spain has just announced that it had reached the "significant conclusion" that; 

"tongue cleaning has an effect in reducing intra-oral halitosis caused by tongue coating".

For course this may not be news to all of us...

After all tongue 'scraping' was practiced by our Victorian forebears and indeed by the Romans in ancient times. Founding Father, George Washington even carried around a rather fancy 'scraper' in his grooming kit.

Whilst Indian and Chinese communities still continue to actively tongue clean - because they recognise the importance of a clean tongue for good oral care beyond 'just' solving bad breath - but also for helping maintain control over plaque and dental decay. 

However in the 'West' the notion and thought of cleaning one's tongue is given a very low priority, compared to brushing, flossing and using a mouthwash - despite the fact that an effective tongue cleanse can take less than 10 seconds.

The lack of emphasis on our neglected tongues is striking.The UK oral care industry is worth some £1 billion per year, but 70% of this is spent on our teeth - whereas less than 1% is on dedicated tongue cleaners.

Aligned to this XI European Periodontology breakthrough finding is the Journal of Periodontology evidence that tongue 'scrapers' are far more effective in removing volatile sulfur compounds (the 'bad stuff' that leads onto bad breath) than toothbrushes. In the tests carried out a tongue 'scraper' reduced production of VSCs by a significant 75 percent, compared to toothbrushes removing only 45%.

(We would also add that a well designed tongue 'scraper' will ensure there is no 'gag' affect - and so you will be able to reach to the back of the tongue, where the debris really lurks. Toothbrushes WILL make you gag).

So with medical science giving the noble art of tongue cleaning the thumbs up - there's no reason to delay ...

Try an AMANO and discover the joys of having a naturally clean tongue.

Decanter followed up its article on 'Age & your palate' (March 2015) with a letter in its APRIL issue on the medical evidence supporting tongue cleaning (and wine appreciation)

Sounds like a very compelling argument ... (this chap seems to know what he's talking about ;)

As we are fond of reminding wine drinkers (of a certain age);

Old Vines might improve with age (and indeed old Wines) - but our taste buds certainly don't ...

So, using an effective tongue cleanser can help reverse the gradual decline in our taste sensitivity - and thus enhance our wine appreciation

Cheers 

(and thank you Decanter Managing Editor, Amy Wislocki, for being such a tongue cleaning advocate)

Daily Mail's Good Health section featured the AMANO on 25^th November

The Daily Mail asked Dr Phil Stemmer, a West End Dental Practitioner, to review our £12 solution to bad breath (and wider oral care & health issues).

Dr Phil runs the ‘Fresh Breath Centre’, which specialises in bad breath treatments. 

Interestingly his website says that a first appointment with his ‘Fresh Breath Centre’ will cost £205. Presumably to cure the bad breath there will be a need for further visits and further fees…

Since the tongue is one third of the mouth’s surface area and responsible for 80% of the cases of bad breath – we acknowledge that there are bound to be a huge variety of solutions to this age-old problem.

We believe that at £12 the AMANO would represent excellent value for money – not least because it is built to last a long time (unlike chemical solutions that require repeat and frequently costly purchases).

Our design is based on a 2000-year Roman design - so we are not exactly re-inventing the wheel! (Maybe making it a little more stylish).

And since we launched in 1992 we have developed a very loyal customer base - some of whom are STILL using the very same AMANO's they bought way back in the 1990s. That's a pretty good endorsement (check out the Customer reviews).

We believe the AMANO USP is really about these 3 key equities:

• Being swift – less than 5 seconds is all it takes
• Being visibly effective – you will feel rewarded by seeing the offending debris being removed
• And crucially – having NO GAG affect – so you are able to go to the back of the tongue (where the debris lurks) and feel more relaxed about tongue cleaning as a daily routine.

A major factor in the continuing neglect of the tongue – is the real fear of GAGGING. The AMANO is precisely designed to overcome this.

Anyway back to the review. Not surprisingly perhaps, Dr Phil was sparing in his praise of the AMANO.

He did admit this however:

"It's the most attractive tongue cleaner I've seen"

Bizarrely part of his advice was to;

"Hold your tongue in one hand and scrape it with the other".

That's not (we would suggest) a technique the Romans, Hindus and Victorians would have recognised (or George Washington perhaps?)

Rather than respond directly – here are five (slightly bemused) responses I received to Dr Phil’s review:

Ms GS (Dental Professional + AMANO user)

“I think he is talking a load of nonsense.  My tongue doesn't curl in when I am preparing to use the AMANO and neither does any one else's.  And as for the metal causing pain - !!!!!! -  when has that ever happened??!!"

Ms FS (Dental Professional + AMANO user)

"The man is mad.....this is such an effective cleanser.....who is able to hold their tongue in one hand and clean with the other?  The only way I can hold a tongue (for cancer screening) is with a gauze! I go with the 'most attractive' as well."

Mr TJ (an AMANO user)

“No one holds the tongue with one hand whilst using the other for the tongue cleaner.”

Ms KD (Dental Professional + AMANO user)

“I don’t get why it says the device is flat… And the idea of holding your tongue is weird!”

Mr TR (an AMANO user)

“You have the weight of culture, history and practice on your side. Clearly the writer of the review has never visited South Asia where tongue cleansing is a daily routine for millions of people - all of whom use two hands to hold the implement. Contrary to what the reviewer asserts, the tongue does not need to be held while it is being cleansed. Also the shape of the implement is specifically designed to ensure pressure is applied evenly across the surface of the tongue while it is being cleaned. Perhaps you should offer to send someone there to model how it is supposed to be done.”

Good advice TR – we are drawing lots in the office to see who goes to see Dr Phil …

(This article appeared in 50Connect - the publication for the over 50s)

We all know that America’s 1^st President, George Washington, created a lasting political legacy for the USA and indeed the world.

It would be slightly ironic therefore if his personal grooming preferences became the inspiration for a revolution, in the way we look afresh, at an oral hygiene routine that has been largely forgotten - in the western world.

This may come as a shock to you but Founding Father George Washington was a practitioner in the rich and noble art of tongue cleansing.

Indeed his elegant toilet set can still be viewed at Mount Vernon, Virginia, USA. Or on this website, in the ‘History of Tongue Cleansing’ section: www.amanotonguecleanser.com

You’ll see America’s President owned both a toothbrush and a tongue scraper (here at AMANO we prefer to to say ‘tongue cleanser’).

The medical reasons for tongue cleansing, particularly for those of us over 50, are now pretty compelling.

The tongue is one third of our mouths surface area and it is an excellent trap for food and bacterial debris – that has been shown to cause bad breath and dental decay.

As we age however our saliva count drops – thus increasing these oral care issues. Plus poor oral care has been linked to increased risk of heart disease.

Additionally our taste buds decline in sensitivity making food appear dull. Tongue cleaning can reverse this process and enable the subtle flavours in food and wine to be enhanced.

When I first saw the image of Washington’s toilet set I wanted to know just why did he choose to use a scraper on his tongue rather than just a brush (as some might suggest).

The answer could be relevant for todays oral care conscious consumer faced with a similar conundrum.

I think we all instinctively consider any NEW healthcare activity or routine in the following way.

For it to be adopted as part of a regular routine, it needs to qualify as; ‘A REWARDING EXPERIENCE’.

And for this to happen it needs to satisfy a delicate equation featuring these 4 components;

TIME TO COMPLETE:

LEVEL OF PLEASANTNESS: (or lack of unpleasantness)

PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS:

COST:

On this basis tongue cleansing using a traditional ‘scraper’ implement, such as the AMANO Tongue Cleanser, wins hands down – over a toothbrush, or indeed a stylized tongue ‘brush’.

WHY?

Well it takes less than 5 seconds to do:

You will not experience a gag effect: (because the weight and 2-handle design is able to resist the tongues ‘reflex’ action)

You will see the visible results

And it’s a one off ‘investment’ that will last for years

Since George spent much of his life ‘in the field’, constantly on the move (from us Brits) this equation worked well for him it seems.

So, if you are able to deal with seeing the food, drink and bacterial debris being swiftly and elegantly removed by the AMANO – this is a routine that can become part of your daily oral care regime.

Contrast this with tongue brushes – they do seem to take an awfully long time. Chances are you will gag, particularly when you try and reach the back of the tongue. Plus you certainly don’t get the same sense of ‘achievement’ from seeing the gunge come off your tongue. And then you also have the cost of replacing these plastic consumer items every 3 months or so…

We have AMANOs ‘in the field’ for 20 years and more. That makes it a great and long lasting ‘investment’. We are really hoping George’s shining example will motivate others to follow him and adopt the practice of tongue cleansing…

As we all recall, George Washington believed in; “Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

Given his tongue cleansing penchant, this line could have just as well been written; ““Life Liberty and the pursuit of a clean tongue”

Now that would have been a truly memorable epitaph.

The AMANO Tongue Cleanser was featured in this months British Dental Journal.