919-381-5900 You know that there are ways to recognize that something is wrong in your body. For example, if you have pain in your wrist, you could have carpal tunnel. If your ankle is swollen, it could be sprained. Similarly, your tongue could actually change colors if you’re dealing with an issue.
Did you know that your tongue can turn white? This could indicate a few different issues, such as leukoplakia or oral thrush. Oral thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth. Fortunately, you should be able to deal with thrush with home remedies like eating plain yogurt. There are also some medications that will help as well. However, if your tongue is white this could also be a symptom of leukoplakia, unfortunately, this could be a sign that cancer is forming.
If you are suffering from a vitamin B-12 deficiency, and some other vitamin deficiencies, your tongue could turn bright red or bright pink color. However, if your tongue turns these different colors and you are suffering from a fever, we recommend seeking professional help right away as these can be signs of serious infections. You see, these may even be signs of scarlet fever. Similarly, if these symptoms appear in children under the age of five, they could have Kawasaki syndrome, which can lead to other serious problems if not taken care of as soon as possible.
Your tongue can also turn a black color and may feel fuzzy. It may even look like hair is growing on top on it. However, while this may sound uncomfortable and unappealing, it is completely harmless. Black hairy tongue is also fairly easy to reverse by brushing and flossing every day.
If you’d like to learn more about dealing with a discolored tongue in Durham, North Carolina, we invite you to give Bull City Smiles Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, Debora Bolton DDS a call at 919-381-5900. Our dentist, Dr. Debora Bolton, and our team will gladly address any of your concerns and offer you personalized advice. We’re eager to hear from you soon.