What Your Tongue Reveals About Your Health

If you are like many people, you probably take your tongue for granted. As a child, you may have explored the world with your tongue – licking everything you saw or sticking it out at parents and other children for a reaction. As a young adult, you likely learned there was much more to the tongue as you tasted new foods and explored new relationships.

What you may not realize is that your tongue is much more than just another body part. It has a key role in the ability you have to swallow and taste food. Also, your tongue can provide you and your dentist clues about your overall oral health. Keep reading to learn what your tongue can reveal.

A normal tongue is pink. If you see a white substance coating your tongue, it may be oral thrush. This is an overgrowth of yeast that can occur in your mouth. While it may be whitish because you do not brush your tongue enough, it is good to have it checked out.

If your tongue is irritated by tobacco use, leukoplakia may occur. Usually, your dentist will advise you to stop smoking and using tobacco, but this is up to you. However, if you see white patches, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your dentist to have oral cancer ruled out as a potential cause.

One of the symptoms of Kawasaki disease is an overly red tongue. However, this is a much more common sign of a vitamin deficiency, such as B-12 or folic acid. Sometimes, the solution to this problem is just adding a new supplement to your daily routine.

Does your tongue look like a weird map with bumpy and red patches all over the place? If so, it is a sign of a high fever. In most cases, you need to seek medical care right away to see what the underlying cause is.

If you have an overly-sensitive tongue, it may be due to a food allergy or a canker sore. It would help if you were not overly concerned about this unless it sticks around for a while. If that happens, speak to your dentist. They may be able to give you some tips and advice – or even medication – to get it to go away.

While this may sound strange, it can happen. Usually, a tongue scraping or good brushing will handle the problem. However, if it still appears hairy, it is time to go to the dentist. When it comes to your tongue, many issues may appear. If you notice any of these problems, it is time to go to the dentist. Being informed and knowing what the most common problems are is the best way to minimize issues and keep a healthy mouth.