What Does Your Tongue Color Tell You About Your Health?

We all know that some foods can change the color of your tongue—and there’s no problem with that. But, what if your tongue is the wrong color when you haven’t eaten anything? Of course, we recommend visiting a dentist a soon as possible, but we’re happy to list a few things you possible reasons.

As you know, your tongue is normally pink. But did you know that you could be acing health problems if it’s red? Specifically, if your tongue is bright red you could have a vitamin deficiency—specifically vitamin B-12. Also, if your tongue is bright red and you or your child has a fever, you could have either Kawasaki syndrome or Scarlet Fever. Still, we have good news: both of these options are treatable.

Similarly, if your tongue is white you could have a condition known as leukoplakia. While this condition is not dangerous, it can be a sign of cancer. Oral thrush, which is a yeast infection, can be the result of thrush. Luckily, this problem can be treated by just eating plain yogurt.

Finally, what does a black tongue mean? This condition—often known as black hairy tongue—happens when too much bacteria builds up on the tongue. This can be caused by several factors, such as smoking, practicing poor oral hygiene, being dehydrated, and taking certain medications. Fortunately, this problem can be remedied by practicing good oral hygiene.

Do you have more questions about what your tongue says about your health? If so, please feel free to contact us today. We are excited to hear from you.