If you've noticed the color of your tongue and gums has changed and that it isn't the healthy looking pink that it once was, you want to make an appointment with the dentist. Even if you haven't been to the dentist in a while, you want to make an appointment, and you want to make sure that you don't have an oral health condition that is putting your overall health at risk. Here are a few of the things that you will want to ask the dentist about.
Bacterial Concerns
A coating of white bacteria or fungi, like yeast, could be causing the tongue to look white, and it could be causing a series of other problems in your mouth as well. The dentist will take a cell sample, if necessary, to determine if yeast is the problem, or if there are other bacterial problems that you have to be concerned about.
A prescription medication may be necessary in order for you to treat the problem efficiently and quickly, and to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body. If yeast is damaging the tongue, it's probably affecting the gum tissue as well.
Dehydration
If your body is severely dehydrated, it can cause some discoloration in the tongue, just like it does the skin on the body. If you notice that your entire body is dehydrated, and that your skin is dry and you aren't producing enough saliva, this could cause the bacteria or yeast to spread faster. Drinking enough water throughout the day is necessary to help with this issue, and you may need to add electrolytes or other supplements to your diet.
Medications
If you are taking prescription medications or any supplements that you purchase on your own, have a list of the items and the ingredients so your dentist can look at these as well. Some of the ingredients in these may be causing the dehydration or dry mouth, and they could be causing the fungal concerns as well.
There are a lot of different things that can occur that cause you to have problems with your tongue and the color and heath of your mouth. If you are currently concerned that your tongue is white and that you have oral heath complications, you want to get a dentist right away so you can treat the problem, and to find out if there are other issues before the condition spreads.
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