Why plaque on tongue

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This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Request Appointment. Symptoms White tongue.

Definition Causes When to see a doctor. A white tongue is usually nothing to worry about. But on rare occasions, this symptom can warn of a more serious condition like an infection or early cancer. White tongue is often related to oral hygiene. Your tongue can turn white when the tiny bumps papillae that line it swell up and become inflamed.

Bacteria, fungi, dirt, food, and dead cells can all get trapped between the enlarged papillae. This collected debris is what turns your tongue white. Check out: Best practices for healthy teeth ». Leukoplakia: This condition causes white patches to form on the inside of your cheeks, along your gums, and sometimes on your tongue.

You can get leukoplakia if you smoke or chew tobacco. Excess alcohol use is another cause. The white patches are usually harmless. But in rare cases , leukoplakia can develop into oral cancer. Oral lichen planus: With this condition, a problem with your immune system causes white patches to form in your mouth and on your tongue.

Along with the white tongue, your gums may be sore. You might also have sores along the inside lining of your mouth. Oral thrush: This is an infection of the mouth caused by Candida yeast. Syphilis: This sexually transmitted infection can cause sores in your mouth. You may be able to remove the white coating from your tongue by gently brushing it with a soft toothbrush. Or softly run a tongue scraper across your tongue. Drinking lots of water can also help flush bacteria and debris out of your mouth.

However, there are a few things you can do to reduce your odds of getting this condition. There are two main ways to properly clean your tongue: brushing and scraping. Brushing your tongue involves gently scrubbing your tongue from back to tip with a moistened toothbrush. You can do this most effectively while brushing your teeth by spitting out excess toothpaste after cleaning your teeth but before rinsing so that your mouth and toothbrush still have toothpaste residue on them.

Then gently scrub your tongue, cheeks, and the roof of your mouth before rinsing to reap the protective benefits of the toothpaste and get an all around clean.

These devices can be found inexpensively at most drug stores. Rinse the scraper and repeat, making sure to move from the back of the tongue to the tip so as to not to accidentally ingest the bacteria being removed. Once the whole surface of the tongue has been scraped, thoroughly clean and dry the tongue scraper, and brush and floss your teeth as normal. Cleaning your tongue should be a part of your daily oral health routine. Bacteria begins to build up on the surface of teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue very soon after brushing, so a daily tongue cleaning, just like regular brushing and flossing, is an important step in warding off oral health issues.

If you find that cleaning your tongue daily is resulting in discomfort, you may be scrubbing or scraping too vigorously. The pressure needed to clean the tongue is no more than the amount needed to lightly hold your toothbrush or tongue scraper in place on your tongue. Your tongue is made up of delicate skin which can become inflamed or painful when irritated, so if you are feeling discomfort, hold off on cleaning your tongue for a day or two until the skin of your tongue can restore itself and then try again with a much more gentle approach.

If the discomfort is due to a wound or sore, refrain from cleaning your tongue until the issue has healed as scrubbing or scraping the area will irritate it and may even cause more damage. Cleaning your tongue can be a challenge for those who have a very sensitive gag reflex as touching the back of the tongue can sometimes trigger involuntary gag responses.

If this sounds familiar to you, try out tongue cleaning slowly to get yourself used to the sensation. A trick of the dental trade is to stick out your tongue and, when you are about to touch a sensitive part, relax the tongue completely while exhaling fully.