Your tongue is incredibly important to mouth and digestive function—and it’s what allows you to taste all of the delicious food you eat. As such, if you have tongue problems, you should certainly consider asking for help from a dentist.
White Tongue
A white tongue is generally an indication of infections that occurs during one of three causes. Leukoplakia is a condition where mouth cells grow more than they should and is indicated by white patches. Not directly dangerous, this can be a sign of upcoming mouth cancer and should be examined by a dentist. Oral thrush, or candidiasis, is a yeast infection that causes white patches in the mouth that appear and feel like cottage cheese. This can be caused by a number of things: respiratory diseases, certain medicines, and diabetes. The beneficial bacteria in your mouth die in this situation. Eating certain foods or some medicines treat this. Raised, lacy white lines indicate lichen planus. This often resolves itself, but avoiding tobacco and other irritants will help
Red Tongue
This is caused primarily by a lack of certain vitamins. However, scarlet fever can cause it, too. Contact your doctor immediately in this case. Benign migratory glossitis, or “geographic tongue” is also a cause. While it usually does no damage and fades on its own, you should contact a dentist for an inspection. If the tongue is found to be painful at this time, you may need medication. Finally, Kawasaki Syndrome, usually found in children under five, is an infection of blood vessels. Contact a doctor immediately for this symptom in conjunction with high fever and swelling of the extremities.
Black and Hairy Tongue
Among tongue problems, this is relatively benign. The papillae, or taste buds, continue to grow throughout your life. Most people wear then down through regular use, but sometimes they get too long and take on bacterial colonies. This causes them to turn black. Often, this is the result of poor dental hygiene. Antibiotics, chemotherapy, and diabetes may also cause this.
Sore and Bumpy Tongue
Pain in the tongue can come from any sort of trauma ranging from accidentally biting it to smoking. Canker sores are common bumps that appear in most people at some point and often come from stress. Enlarged papillae and some medical conditions, like anemia, can also cause pain. Most of these are not causes for concern; however, this can also indicate cancer. Consult a dentist if you are concerned.
Olney Dental can answer all of you questions about your tongue and other oral health topics. Call us at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online for an appointment. Also, visit Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube to connect with us