3 Reasons Why Your Tongue Is A White Color

25 April 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog


You may brush your teeth two times every day, but you still have a patch on your tongue that is noticeably white that has not gone away. This is a sign that you should take a look at your overall oral health. There are a few situations where your tongue can turn white, which makes it easy to narrow down the problem and come up with a solution to it.

Lichen Planus

Do the white spots that you noticed look like a sheet of lace, or have the appearance of spider webs? Then the white spots could be caused by lichen planus. It's a rare condition, and can cause inflammation, discomfort, and even oral lesions.

Since the cause of lichen planus is unknown, the treatment is difficult to get right. Your dentist may recommend not eating foods that are sharp, hard, acidic, or spicy, since they can irritate your mouth and actually prolong this infection. Its common for these cases to clear up by themselves over time.

A possible cause for lichen planus is an allergy to amalgam dental fillings. If you have these types of fillings, you could have a patch test done to see if it is causing an allergic reaction, and then have the fillings removed and replaced.

Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is common in young children and elderly people, and is essentially a yeast infection that creates white patches on your tongue and other surfaces in your mouth. It can also cause pain, fever, and overall discomfort to your mid-chest and throat area. If you have asthma or diabetes, it can increase your risk of developing thrush.

Thankfully, the treatment for this problem is inexpensive and straightforward. A yeast infection happens due to not having the good bacteria your body needs, so you can fix this by eating special yogurt that contains active cultures of bacteria, such as Activia. It will help reset your mouth's bacteria colonies to destroy the yeast. If your tongue is white, it can't hurt to start by eating yogurt to see if that fixes it.

Leukoplakia

Leukoplakia is rare, but a potential reason why your tongue is white. It's a condition where cells grow in the mouth quickly, and create an unnecessary layers of white cells on your tongue. It's not uncomfortable or painful, but you should not ignore it because leukoplakia is a potential sign of cancer.

You're likely to get leukoplakia after your tongue is burned, cut, or injured, and if you consume foods that can irritate the tongue. If you smoke or chew tobacco, that can also cause leukoplakia to develop.

If you are not sure why your tongue is white, visit a dentist, such as Picone Dental - Vincent J Picone DDS. They can help identify the problem and let you know that it is completely harmless or if additional steps need to be taken.   


Share