While toothbrush bristles are great for your teeth, they aren’t as effective at cleaning your tongue. Bristles tend to move buildup around rather than fully removing it. A tongue scraper (like the Smile Filter), on the other hand, is designed to gently lift away bacteria, food particles, and the biofilm that coats your tongue. The Smile Filter can also help reduce bad breath (halitosis) more effectively than brushing your tongue with a toothbrush.