Causes of a Coated Tongue
Improper oral hygiene. Medications, including antibiotics. Alcohol, smoking, tobacco products, and illegal drugs. Chronic health conditions like hypothyroidism, diabetes, and syphilis.
Brushing your tongue gently from back to front a few times with a toothbrush and toothpaste is an easy first step, since you're already in there brushing your teeth twice a day anyway. “But tongue scraping can do a better job at removing that plaque and bacteria off the tongue's surface,” Patterson advises.
The longer you go without brushing, the thicker it gets and the harder it is to get off. To stop the white stuff from building up—and to bring the surface of your tongue back to its healthy pink color—simply brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth, Dr. Alvarez says. And make sure you're drinking enough, too.
A white tongue can result from a buildup of debris. Common reasons include a dry mouth, tobacco use, and not cleaning the tongue. But, it can sometimes result from inflammation or a fungal infection. White tongue is a term used to describe any area of the tongue that has a grayish-white coating on it.
Tartar is hardened plaque. If you don't remove plaque regularly, it will turn into tartar. At this point, you can't brush or floss it away. Only a dentist or hygienist can remove it.
Most plaque hardens within 48 hours of formation, and within several days it will become so hard that it is almost impossible to remove. This hard substance is tartar and the only way to remove it is to see your dentist for a professional scraping of your teeth.
Try a Tongue Scraper Instead of a Toothbrush
If your toothbrush slides too far back, you'll gag before you can finish your cleaning session. For a more effective clean, invest in a tongue scraper.
Brown tongue can be caused by brown foods like coffee. Hairy tongue can also cause a brown or blackish appearance. This is caused by elongated proteins of the tongue when they retain food and bacteria. If you scrape your tongue well with a toothbrush, it should improve.
You certainly do. Fluoride toothpaste can clean your tongue just as effectively as cleaning your teeth.
A white tongue is usually caused by a buildup of bacteria and dead cells on the surface of the tongue. Good oral hygiene, a healthy diet, and regular dental checkups will keep your tongue healthy. Sometimes a white tongue can be a sign of an underlying health problem or a medication side effect.
Oral thrush is a fungal infection of the mouth. It's not contagious and is usually successfully treated with antifungal medication. It's also called oral candidosis (or candiasis) because it's caused by a group of yeasts called Candida.
Clean using Baking soda– A mixture of baking soda and salt is an effective home remedy for dental calculus removal. Brushing your teeth with baking soda and salt softens the calculus, making it easy to remove. The mixture should smoothly be scrubbed on the teeth by using a toothbrush.
Mix a teaspoon of aloe vera gel with four teaspoons of glycerine (an ingredient found in many toothpastes), five tablespoons of baking soda, a drop of lemon essential oil, and a cup of water. Once mixed, use the mixture to clean your teeth to gradually remove plaque and tartar.
The best way to remove plaque and tartar is to practice good oral hygiene. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. They also recommend flossing once a day. Flossing first will remove pieces of food and plaque from between the teeth and hard-to-reach areas.
Put a small amount of baking soda on your toothbrush (around a tablespoon is fine), and then wet the toothbrush. Brush your teeth like you normally would with toothpaste and then rinse. You can also replace a little bit of the baking soda with a pinch of salt and follow the same instructions.
White vinegar
For this method, you need to mix white wine vinegar into a glass of warm saltwater. You should gargle this mixture once a day, just like you would with mouthwash. This can help remove the tartar buildup that has formed between your teeth and gums.
When this happens, the harsh ingredients in your toothpaste cause the cells lining the insides of your cheeks to slough off, and as they collect in your mouth, this creates the white, slimy, stringy stuff.
Saltwater rinse
One of the easiest and most effective home remedies for the white tongue is a saltwater rinse. To do this, mix a tablespoon of salt with a cup of warm water and swish the solution around in your mouth for about 30 seconds before spitting it out.
White tongue is a coating of debris, bacteria and dead cells on your tongue that makes it look white. Although the appearance of white tongue may be alarming, the condition is usually harmless and temporary.
When you have a white tongue, then you probably have an overburdened digestive system. An overworked system results in slow digestion and improper function. This leads to a buildup of a bacteria or yeast called candida, and all of this shows on your tongue.