What causes white layer on tongue?
Dr. D.Sendhil Nathan MDS, DNB Prosthodontics And Implantology
Our tongue is full of muscles and covered with a pink tissue called mucosa. The muscular organ has an infinite number of tiny holes called papillae over the surfaces. When the tiny spaces over the tongue get inflamed with dirt or other unwanted particles, it becomes inflamed and appears white in color.
Congestion of dead cells, deposition of food debris, bacteria and other things in the papillae region provide a coated layer over the tongue. It makes the tongue appear white. Usually, such white layer on the tongue is harmless but needs attention as it might occur because of disorders.
Causes of white tongue
Generally, the white coating on the tongue begins with improper oral hygiene. If you do not clean your tongue like the teeth, the microbes trapped over the tongue surfaces will breed and causes a white tongue.
Similarly, abnormal oral conditions and bad habits also end in the white-colored tongue. The important things to mention are:
- Mouth breathing
- Dry mouth
- Dehydration problems
- Smoking
- Alcohol consumption
In rare cases, the root of tongue’s odd appearance lies in the underlying diseases or atypical fitness. Some of them include:
1) Scarlet Fever
Scarlet fever is a bacterial illness that causes bright red rashes on the skin. When the disease progresses, the red patches spread to various regions of the skin. It is caused by the bacteria responsible for strep throat by introducing a toxin in the blood flow. Usually, it appears in kids aged between 5 and 15.
Apart from red patches, the regions around the mouth of the scarlet fever sufferers appear pale. It makes the cheek, tongue and other muscles over the mouth look white.
2) Syphilis
Syphilis is a bacterial disease caused by a bacteria called Treponema pallidum. It is a sexually transmitted disease and causes painless sores. It can be diagnosed with a white color spot where the bacteria enter the body. If it is left untreated, the infection develops and the sores extend to various parts of the body including the mouth.
When the sores appear in the mouth, they make the tongue and cheeks look appear white.
3) Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia is a condition that causes grey or white-colored patches inside the mouth. It occurs because of the mechanical irritation caused by broken or cracked teeth and dental appliances like dentures, dental bridges, dental implants or others.
Note: The risk rate of suffering from Leukoplakia increases with smoking and drinking alcohol. Researches show that it is also associated with oral cancer.
4) Geographic Tongue
Geographic tongue is a condition that produces red or white patches appear as a map-like structure over the tongue’s upper surfaces. The colored patches appear due to the disappearance of tiny bumps (papillae) which delivers a rough texture to the tongue.
It heals quickly but spread to other regions of the tongue. The reason for this problem is unidentified but it is harmless and does not associate with bacterial or fungal infections.
5) Oral Thrush
Oral Thrush is a fungal infection occurs because of the abundance of the fungus named Candida albicans inside the body. Apart from causing white or yellow patches on tongue, throat, cheeks, the illness induces distinct problems like bad taste, soreness in mouth, difficulty in chewing, etc.
Uncontrolled diabetes and immunodeficiency are the prime risk factors of oral thrush.
Note: Persistent white coat on your tongue may be a warning sign to alert the increased sugar levels, Vitamin B deficiency and serious diseases like HIV. It is because diseases like AIDS, Leukemia can weaken our immune system.
6) Oral Lichen Planus
Similar to oral thrush, oral lichen planus also affects mucous membranes inside the mouth to develop white patches. This is an inflammatory condition and occurs as a side effect of medications taken to treat diabetes, malaria and increased blood pressure.
Sometimes, the problems arise because of the body’s allergic reaction to the metals fixed for dental fillings or metal braces.
Bottom line
White coating on a tongue is not only the symbol of poor dental hygiene routine but also a symptom of underlying illness in our body. If you notice the existence of white layer on a tongue for weeks, it is time to consult your Dentist.
