You know it : a language should not a priori be white. However, this morning, yours is. And it’s not your bathroom mirror’s fault. For what ? “Different reasons can explain this, answers Christophe Lequart, dentist and spokesperson for the French Union for Oral Health. But it is most often a bacterial deposit on the lingual papillae. Fine, but where does this deposit come from?
Alcohol, tobacco and drugs can explain the phenomenon
First of all, it should be noted that this famous whitish deposit is quite logically caused by a poor oral hygiene. But that’s not all: “there tobacco use also favors the proliferation of bacteria, just like alcohol, because it dehydrates the mucous membranes. That’s why you feel like your tongue is “mushy” after a night out, explains the expert. Furthermore, all medication which will have an influence on the production of saliva can promote the appearance of this deposit. This is the case, for example, of antihypertensives, anxiolytics or certain antihistamines.
The other problem, beyond color? The smell. “Because the bacteria it contains synthesize volatile sulfur compounds, the deposit is responsible for bad breath.” And even, more precisely, “90% of cases of halitosis (the scientific name for bad breath, editor’s note.)”
How to cure it ?
By using a tongue scraper morning and evening to better remove the deposit. “And you can also add to this scraping a specific alcohol-free mouthwash that will destroy bacteria and neutralize malodorous compounds. But be careful, do not scrape your tongue with a toothbrush, because you risk causing microlesions on its surface in which bacteria could infiltrate and increase the problem.”
Finally, you should know that in some cases, this deposit is not the cause of the whiteness of your tongue. “It could also be a lichen. Or a mycosis that cannot be eliminated by scratching. This is also how we make our differential diagnosis. And in this case, it is necessary to resort to an antifungal treatment, and sometimes corticosteroids.
In short, take it for granted, but above all, don’t scrape your tongue if you don’t have any particular problem, it’s useless!
