What Your Tongue is Secretly Telling You About Your Health

The tongue is often overlooked and not given much consideration when it comes to your health. However, your tongue can be a surprisingly useful indicator of your health, with subtle changes indicating underlying conditions or deficiencies. At Kew Road Dental, we always examine your tongue as part of your oral health assessment during your visit. 

Our clinicians are trained under the standards set by the General Dental Council (GDC) and follow protocols from the Mouth Cancer Foundation and the British Dental Association (BDA). In this article, we will cover red flags to look for in your tongue and what they might be telling you about your oral and general health.

‘In the UK, every routine dental check-up includes a mouth cancer screening, which includes your tongue.’ Andrew Stevenson, Principal Dentist.

What Is A ‘Normal’ Healthy Tongue?

Most tongues share common characteristics. It is good practice to look at your tongue in the mirror most mornings after drinking a glass of water to clean it. A healthy tongue should have the following characteristics:

1. A uniform colour across the entire tongue, usually a pinkish shade, which can vary with the individual. A healthy tongue will have a good blood supply.
2. Your tongue should be covered (not dripping) with saliva.
3. There should be no soreness, and it should not be pointing to the side.
4. You should be able to move your tongue around your mouth with ease and no pain.
5. You might be able to see tiny bumps; these are normal and are known as papillae.

Your tongue may look slightly different in the morning; this can often be due to drinks or food consumed the night before. Often, patients are worried about a white ‘coat’ on their tongue; this is quite normal unless it is thick. We encourage our patients to clean their tongue as well as their teeth, as this removes bacteria that can also cause bad breath (halitosis).

What Can The Different Colours Mean?

We like to see a healthy pink colour; however, below is a table with some of the variations that we have seen and their causes/associated issues.

Physical Changes: What Is This Telling Me?

It can be worrying when you notice a change in your tongue's appearance. Many of these changes can be improved through better oral hygiene or dietary changes. As a dental practice, we often examine patients with concerns about the appearance of their tongues. 

Below are five common physical changes: 

1. Lumps/Bumps: Most commonly caused by an inflamed taste bud; however, a hard lump that doesn’t go away should definitely be investigated further, as it could potentially be cancerous.
2. Swelling: During check-ups, we have been told that the patient's tongue has swollen. Often, this can be due to a reaction to food or medicine. Extreme dehydration can also cause swelling.
3. Cracks: Often referred to as fissures, unfortunately, this physical change can become more common with age, as we often see in our practice.
4. Ulcers: They can be painful and irritating; the general rule is to have them checked if they don’t heal within 14 days. Stress can be a causing factor.
5. Glossy appearance: Gives the impression of a completely smooth tongue; the most common cause is nutritional. 

According to the NHS, any mouth ulcer that lasts longer than 3 weeks, or a persistent red or white patch on the tongue or inside the mouth, should be checked by a dentist or GP, as it can occasionally be an early sign of mouth cancer.

We Screen Your Tongue

‘At Kew Road Dental, we don't just check your teeth and gums; we also examine your tongue, as this is often where oral health issues first arise. This usually just involves a visual examination, which you are not even aware of.’ Andrew Stevenson, Principal Dentist.

The tongue can be one of the first areas where oral health issues appear, and a simple check from a dentist can lead to early detection and preventative measures. Some of the screening we perform includes:

• Look for any tissue on the tongue that appears abnormal.
• Inspect your tongue to make sure saliva production is normal, as saliva helps protect your teeth and gums.

Clinician Tips To Keep Your Tongue Healthy & Clean

Advice that we provide to our patients to help their tongue stay healthy includes:

• Patients often ask whether they should purchase a specific tongue scraper. This is the best and most effective option we have found; however, a conventional toothbrush works just as well.
• The back of the tongue is often where most bacteria are, so make sure to clean it there.
• A healthy diet is important for your teeth and gums, and for your tongue.
• Quit smoking.
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.

Summary

Your tongue is an important indicator of your oral and general health. If you have any concerns about your tongue or oral health, contact our friendly, highly experienced team to find out how we can help.