Sun City Dental Professionals Talk About Tongue Health, PART 1

This four-part article series talks about the various ailments and conditions that can cause tongue problems, from unsightly discoloration to uncomfortable bumps and ridges.

Whether you are aware of it or not, you use your tongue almost all the time. It is an essential organ for communication, taste and digestion. Because it is integrally involved in these activities, the various conditions and ailments that can affect it can cause acute discomfort and frustration. In order to better understand the importance of the tongue, we spoke to some Sun City dental professionals about some of the common and perhaps not so common problems that can affect this major muscle.

About The Tongue

The tongue is made up of a number of interconnected muscles, rather than just one large one. These muscles work together to provide you with the incredible control and dexterity is has in helping you eat, speak, swallow and even pull silly faces. Your tongue is covered with a blanket of tiny nodules referred to as papillae (taste buds) and when it is healthy, it should be pink right to the back of the mouth.

There are four over-arching tongue problems that one might develop and our panel of Sun City dental professionals will be discussing them in detail throughout this four-part article series:

• “Strawberry” Tongue or Red Tongue
• White Tongue
• Black Hairy Tongue
• Sore and Bumpy Tongue

Let’s begin with the first...

Sun City Dental Advice: What Can Cause “Strawberry” or Red Tongue?

“A healthy tongue is a nice pink color,” say Sun City dental professionals. “But, there are a number of reasons it can become red and inflamed and for the papillae or taste buds to become swollen. This is why it is sometimes referred to as Strawberry tongue.”

Some of the causes of red tongue include:

• Scarlet Fever: An infectious disease characterized by fever, a sore throat and a red rash, hence the name. It can also cause the tongue to turn an angry shade of red. Scarlet fever typically affects young children between the age of 4 and 8 and is spread via inhalation. While there is no cure for this sickness, it can be treated successfully with antibiotics.

• Geographic Tongue: This uncomfortable condition causes the development of a network of red and, at times, white-bordered spots on the tongue. Also known as benign migratory glossitis, this condition is named after the fact that these spots develop in a pattern that looks somewhat map-like and can also shift positions.
  
  
  “Geographic tongue is typically harmless, although it can be uncomfortable and aesthetically unpleasing,” say Sun City dental professionals. “However, if the red bumps persist for more than two weeks, you should book an appointment with your dentist to make sure that you do indeed have this condition and not something more serious. Discomfort can be treated with topical anesthetic gels.”

• Kawasaki Syndrome: A condition that affects the blood vessels in the body and especially targets children younger than 5 years of age. It can cause fever, strawberry tongue and red, swollen feet and hands during the more severe phase of illness.

• Vitamin Deficiencies: “If your diet is short of vitamin B-12 or folic acid, your tongue may appear redder than normal,” say Sun City dentists.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

To read more about the various conditions and illnesses that can affect your tongue, stay tuned for part 2 of this four-part article series! Next time, we’ll be looking at the problems that can cause white tongue.