What Is Your Tongue Trying to Tell You?
Your dentist’s best advice about problem tongues
Your dentist’s best advice about problem tongues
You probably don’t think about the health of your tongue until something goes wrong. But when it does, it can cause a lot of disruption to your life.
Your tongue allows you to taste your food, swallow, and helps you to talk, which is why tongue problems can be so frustrating and uncomfortable. A healthy tongue is pink and covered with small nodules called papillae. When and if this changes, you’ll probably need to make a visit to your after hours dentist to get it checked out.
White Tongue
If your tongue changes from pink to white, then it can be a sign of some serious and not so serious problems. However, as with any noticeable change in your body, it’s important that you get your white tongue checked out by your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist will be able to identify what’s happening and suggest treatment options.
Some of the conditions that can cause a white tongue are:
Oral thrust
This is a yeast infection that causes white patches on the tongue, gums and inner cheeks. It can be caused by certain medications and is most common in infants, the elderly, and in people with compromised immune systems. This form of white tongue isn’t life threatening, and it can be cleared up using medications or by eating live yoghurt to rebalance the bacteria in your mouth.
Leukoplakia
This is a condition that causes excessive cell growth inside the mouth. It isn’t dangerous on its own, but it can be a precursor to cancer, so you need to get it checked out by your dentist.
Oral lichen planus
This is a mysterious condition with no known cause, but it usually goes away on its own. It often causes a raised network of lacy white lines over the tongue. If you have this condition, make sure your oral health is good by avoiding toxins like alcohol and tobacco and practice good oral hygiene. This will help the condition clear up faster.
Red Tongue
Your tongue should be pink, not red. If this changes, it may be because of the following conditions:
Geographic tongue
This causes patterns of red spots that can have a white border around them over the tongue. This condition is usually harmless, but you should have it checked with your dentist if the patches linger for more than 2 weeks.
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever can cause your tongue to go red, so if you have a temperature then see your doctor for antibiotics.
Vitamin deficiencies
If you’re deficient in vitamin B-12 or folic acid it can cause your tongue to turn red.
This usually affects children under the age of five and can cause a red tongue. If caught early the disease is easily treatable, so make sure you take your child to the doctor if you suspect they have this illness. It also causes a high fever and redness and swelling in the hands and feet.
A Hairy Black Tongue
This may look a little scary, but it’s usually harmless. If your tongue looks black and hairy it means that the papillae have become too long. It most often occurs in people who have poor oral hygiene habits, are on chemotherapy or antibiotics, or suffer from diabetes. So, if you experience this issue, try to improve your oral hygiene and talk to your doctor about your options.
Sore Tongue
Sometimes, the problem with your tongue isn’t that specific. It may just be sore or have small bumps in it that hurt when you eat. These types of problems are extremely common and most of the time they’ll go away on their own. However, if the mouth pain lingers, make an appointment with your dentist to get the problem checked. They’ll be able to give you peace of mind and tell you what’s happening to your tongue and how to fix it.
Some things that can cause tongue soreness are:
Canker sores, which are often caused by stress.
Smoking, which can irritate the surface of your tongue.
Trauma or injuries such as biting or scalding your tongue on food.
Burning tongue syndrome, which occurs in postmenopausal women and causes a burning sensation.
Inflamed or irritated papillae.
Diabetes can cause tongue soreness.
Oral cancer, which causes lumps on the tongue that are often painless.
If you’re concerned about tongue lumps or soreness, visit your dentist to get it checked out. There’s no shame in being wrong, and it’s far better than worrying about it or neglecting a growth that could turn into something very dangerous.
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5 Things Your Tongue May be Trying to Tell You
Here's a look at five of the most common messages the tongue tries to send to warn its human that there might be something wrong...
Which Tongue Is Yours?
You know the drill; after the initial pleasantries at a dentist's appointment, you'll be asked to 'open and up and say 'ahh', so he or she can get a good look at your teeth. But your teeth aren’t all they are looking at, as the condition of your gums and tongue can be very telling as well.
Tongue? That surprised you maybe? The fact is however that this often overlooked - but large and important - body part can tell a dentist or a doctor more about your overall health than you might imagine. And learning to spot the warnings that your tongue might be trying to send to you between dentist visits can actually help you stay healthier. Here's a look at five of the most common messages the tongue tries to send to warn its human that there might be something wrong.
1. White Patches
Sometimes, white patches on the tongue are a sign that something is a little amiss with your daily oral hygiene routine. This can often be solved by making use of that bumpy backside of your toothbrush to clean your tongue when you clean your teeth. However, if you do that for a week or two with no change, something else may be wrong.
White patches and bumps on the tongue can also often be caused by a yeast infection, or can be a sign of a condition called leukoplakia, which is often caused by tobacco or chronic alcohol use. Both conditions are usually easily treated, so a call to the doctor sooner rather than later is almost certainly a good idea.
2. You're Seeing Red
A red tongue can also be a sign of several different things. One of the most common is dry mouth, a situation you can remedy by remembering to stay hydrated and occasionally chewing on some sugar free gum. A rosy tongue can also signify that some of your taste buds are reacting badly to a certain food, to stress, or even a deficiency in a vitamin like folic acid or B12, both of which are important to their function.
Finally, a very red tongue accompanied by a sore throat is often a sign of an infection like strep throat or even scarlet fever. Both conditions can be treated easily with antibiotics and so once again, the faster you make a doctor's appointment, the sooner you'll feel better.
3. Things are Bumpy
Often bumps on the tongue are a temporary condition caused by a certain foodstuff you've recently consumed, especially things that are hot, both in terms of temperature and/or spice level. These will usually go away by themselves rather quickly.
Other causes of tongue bumps can include canker sores and herpes (cold sores), both of which will eventually go away on their own but can be treated to speed healing and ease discomfort. And in some cases, if you bite your tongue repeatedly (and some do, out of habit) a bump may actually be a fibroma and that should be looked at by your dentist, as in some cases they will need to be removed.
4. Ridges or Indentations
No tongue is perfectly smooth, and so in some cases ridges or indentations in your tongue are simply down to genetics. They may also be a sign that you have a fissured tongue, a long crack down the middle of the tongue that again, most people are just born with. It is something you should be aware of though, as it's easy for food to get stuck in that crack and cause bad breath and help the growth of potentially damaging to your teeth bacteria. Brushing your tongue will help, as will a chat with your dentist about the issue.
5. Swelling
A swollen tongue can be very temporary, a reaction to a cup of coffee that was a bit too hot, or accidentally biting your tongue instead of your food. This swelling is mild and will go away on its own, although sucking on an ice cube can help speed things up.
Sudden, more serious swelling however can be a sign that you allergic to something you just ate or drank. This can impair your breathing, something that is obviously dangerous, so medical attention should be sought right away.
The Emergency Dentist Says:
Your tongue is often trying to tell you something, so take notice! The health of your tongue is also important to your overall oral health. The best you can do to for your tongue is eat well and brush it daily!
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