Healthy Tongue
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersGeographic tongue isn't dangerous, but it's a warning sign that you might be getting an illness.
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Some babies are born with a tight frenulum or band of tissue under the tongue that prevents the tongue from sticking out very far. While many babies eat just fine with a tight frenulum, some have trouble breast feeding. The position of the tongue does not allow for a good latch. A tight frenulum may interfere with other activities when a child grows older like licking a lollipop. It is rare but sometimes children with a tight frenulum will have trouble making certain sounds when they speak. A surgical procedure can clip the tongue tie. This is called "lingual frenotomy".
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersChanges in the tongue can be a tip-off of disease. A pale, smooth, flattened, and sometimes-tender tongue can point to an iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, a hallmark of the common blood disorder iron-deficiency anemia. People with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis may notice tiny ulcers on the tongue. If the tongue looks like a geographic map with areas of dark and light, this may indicate an autoimmune disorder such as psoriasis or discoid lupus erythematosus. Recurrent episodes of white patches indicate thrush, an overgrowth of the yeast Candida, which may indicate diabetes. A strawberry-red, swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps is a symptom of Kawasaki disease.
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American Dental Association answeredIt's very possible to puncture a nerve during a tongue piercing. If this happens, you may experience a numb tongue -- nerve damage that is sometimes temporary, but can be permanent. The injured nerve may affect your sense of taste, or how you move your mouth. -
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 2 AnswersBesides titillating a spouse or tipping you off that the haberneros are too hot, your tongue gives you lots of clues about your health.
Pound for pound, the tongue is our strongest muscle. Your tongue actually looks a lot like your intestines and provides a great insight into how your body is responding to the outside world and the food you are eating. Traditional Chinese medicine uses the tongue for most diagnoses, so take a look at yours. Fissures are naturally present in 5 percent of people so don't sweat them.
Poor dental hygiene leads to large papilla bumps that look like small hairs, thus the name hairy tongue. Drug reactions (including to herbs) will cause blisters and ulcers. Strawberry tongue happens in toxic shock syndrome. Hypothyroid people have very fat tongues, and people with pernicious anemia have beefy red tongues. -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 Answers
Besides being your taster, your tongue also helps you swallow and protects you from swallowing poison; you can thank your taste buds for that. Controlled by eight muscles and four nerves, your tongue helps move food and liquids down your esophagus. Of course, few people think of the tongue as an organ of beauty; normal tongues are moist, pink, and have bigger bumps toward the back. It's when you develop problems that things can get a little hairy. Black hairy tongue, for example, is simply when taste buds elongate and change color (due to smoking or antibiotics). Your tongue can also develop cysts, ulcers, herpes infections, and yeast infections (which are called thrush; milk of magnesia or nystatin can chase the yeast right out of your mouth).
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 2 AnswersLightly brushing or scraping your tongue removes any excess plaque and odor causing bacteria. Tongue scrapers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and work by starting at the back of the tongue and pulling the scraper forward. Although there's no strong evidence that tongue scrapers are any more effective than regular brushing of the teeth and tongue, it may help curb bad breath.
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 2 AnswersTo clean your tongue, you can do this either with your toothbrush while brushing your teeth or by using a tongue scraper. Start at the back of the tongue and lightly pull the brush or scraper forward. This removes any excess plaque and odor causing bacteria.
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 2 AnswersCleaning your tongue helps keep your mouth healthy. This removes any excess plaque. It can also help eliminate odor causing bacteria and prevent bad breath.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersThe tongue has many functions and can provide a snapshot of overall health. In this video, Dr. Oz and Dr. Jonathan Levine discuss unhealthy tongue conditions.
