9 Natural remedies to deal with white tongue
Dr. D.Sendhil Nathan MDS, DNB Prosthodontics And Implantology
Our tongue exhibits a thick white coating on its surface owing to many conditions. Aside from poor dental hygiene activities and mouth issues like oral lichen planus, oral thrush, certain health ailments (for instance, digestive disorders, weak immune system, diabetes), smoking & alcohol consumption, anomalous diet also tend to furry tongue (white tongue).
Generally, a healthy pink-colored tongue is covered with a layer called filiform papillae that contains tiny bumps on its surface. Oral bacteria, food debris, dirt, dead cells can embed in the tiny grooves of papillae thereby producing a thick white film on your tongue.
Are you embarrassed with your atypical & inaesthetic tongue appearance? Here are the natural hacks to tackle this problem.
Natural solutions to get rid of white patches on the tongue
Apart from extricating the white film on tongue surfaces, the remedies we are going to discuss aim at re-establishing the good bacteria in your mouth to prevent white coated tongue in the future.
1) Turmeric
Turmeric is prescribed as a natural remedy for various dental & bodily disorders due to its potent anti-microbial properties. It removes the white coating on your tongue without any side effects. Moreover, turmeric is capable of preventing bacterial growth in your mouth.
- Take 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice.
- Mix them until you get a paste-like substance.
Scrub your tongue with this paste using a toothbrush for 5 minutes. Then clean your mouth with a cup of warm water. Repeat it for a few days.
2) Garlic
Chewing one garlic clove a day is the best solution to treat white tongue if the white patches grow due to oral thrush. The overgrowth of a commensal fungus called “Candida albicans” in the linings of your mouth is the main cause of oral thrush.
Garlic contains an active compound called “Allicin” which is well-known for its antifungal activity so that it will have great anticandidal effects to bid adieu to the white tongue.
3) Sea Salt
Mouth rinsing with saltwater is a popular home remedy for various dental ailments as salt is powerful to create an alkaline environment in your mouth so that the microbes cannot thrive in the mouth.
Sea salt holds more advantages than table salt. It has natural antibacterial compounds and offers the essential minerals, nutrients to fix the fluid imbalance in the body’s cells. On the other hand, the rough texture of sea salt is effective to scrub the discolorations on your tongue.
All you want to do is, brush your tongue gently with sea salt once a day. Swish your mouth with a mixture of sea salt and water once or twice a day.
4) Probiotic foods
Probiotics are made up of good, healthy bacteria that are pivotal to destroy disease-causing agents in our body, absorb nutrients from foods, and even for digesting foods. Any imbalance or shortage of such probiotic bacteria in our gut will disturb the body’s regular activities like regulating blood sugar, digestion, etc. Those impairments have their impact on oral health too in the form of oral thrush, white tongue, etc.
Hence dentists advise eating foods, fruits, and vegetables rich in probiotics as a solution to treat white patches on the tongue. Likewise, eating probiotic foods have plenty of benefits like preventing bacterial overgrowth, boosting the immune system, etc.
5) Unsweetened Yogurt
Yogurt is loaded with healthy bacteria such as L acidophilus, B lactis bacteria that have antifungal effects to cure oral thrush. Moreover, Yogurt also contains probiotics. Hence consuming unsweetened yogurt is a powerful remedy to get rid of the white-coated tongue.
6) Neem
Neem is a great source of antifungal and antibacterial compounds. Likewise, it is loaded with crucial minerals to strengthen our oral cavity. The practice of using neem twigs for brushing teeth is an example. Similarly, it can scrub the white patches that develop on your tongue.
Put some neem leaves in a cup of water and boil it for a few minutes. Then filter the liquid and allow it to cool. Now swish your mouth with this solution. You will notice the difference if you repeat this activity twice a day.
7) Aloe Vera juice
Aloe Vera juice is an effective natural remedy for treating white patches on the tongue. These patches may indicate an underlying medical condition such as leukoplakia or oral thrush. Aloe Vera has substances like aloesin, which have antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties that can aid in reducing inflammation and fighting off the fungal infections causing the patches. Regularly consuming Aloe Vera juice can help to promote overall oral health and stop the recurrence of these patches.
8) Baking Soda
Having white patches on the tongue can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but baking soda may help alleviate this issue. The natural bleaching and exfoliating prosperity of baking soda may decrease the growth of bacteria that causes white patches on the tongue. By mixing baking soda with water to create a paste and applying it directly to the affected area, the patch may gradually lighten and disappear over time.
9) Cranberry Juice
The powerful enzymes and nutrients present in cranberry juice are highly effective in disrupting the build-up of microbes on oral tissues. It means swishing your mouth with a cup of cranberry juice daily will boost your oral health to fight effectively against bacterial invasions like cavities, gum diseases, white tongue, etc.
Bottom line
The white-coated tongue is harmless and temporary if it occurs due to poor oral care. If bodily disorders or dental disorders are the root cause of this problem, you will encounter various complications like chronic fever, weight loss, skin rashes, and others along with white tongue. Seeking help from a healthcare expert is pivotal at those times.
