Quite often during, before or after brushing teeth, people notice that there is a white plaque formed on the tongue. Do you need to worry when finding such a phenomenon? Or, perhaps, it is normal.
To understand the issue and to answer these questions, you need to know why the tongue is coated with a white plaque, what are the causes of it. In accordance with this information, it will be clear whether the plaque requires an individual treatment.
The content of the article:
First of all, it must be said that in a normal healthy state in a human a tongue must be pink only and not having any plaque. An exception may be only a short time in the morning after waking up.
However, even in this case, the plaque will be very pale and it is often enough to rinse the mouth to remove it.
The plaque itself is a collection of bacteria, dead skin particles, certain components of saliva naturally stored and not released in the normal way: when consuming solid food, rinsing, drinking, swallowing and other things.
For the most part, the appearance of plaque takes place on the far side of the tongue – where the root is. This is due to the structure of the organ itself. There are papillae in the root part, that are most prone to the retention of different micro particles on them.
Another factor – the farthest part of the tongue is the hardest to be naturally cleaned in the normal way, as it touches with the soft palate only.
Sometimes, deposits of different colors, including white, may occur after a meal. This, in no way, is a sign of an illness.
In terms of special papillae located on the tongue, quite sensitive to different dyes, among which food particles may remain. For example, after high-fat milk it can be can be seen that the surface of the tongue is covered with a light white coating, and after strong tea – brownish.
Everyone at one time or another may have a thin white plaque on the tongue, which is not a symptom or sign of any illness, and most often it is in the root part where cleaning is highly complicated.
This is especially noticeable in the morning and at very high ambient temperatures.
Human’s tongue is a kind of indicator of the health of the whole organism and individual organs. It is divided into zones, each of which is associated with a particular organ.
Some diseases (but not all) are characterized by a plaque on a particular part.
Photo: glossitis
If mostly the root area is covered and sometimes the imprints of the teeth on the sides of the tongue are left, it is likely that the patient suffers enterocolitis.
Often, during this disease, an inflammation of the tongue, called glossitis also develops.
After his removal, a mucous surface is reddened. If plaque does not go away, you should not try too hard to do it, since the emergence of pain and burning sensations is possible, even bleeding of surfaces.
First of all, be sure to find out the cause of this phenomenon. This is handled by experts, using modern methods of examination and various tests. Thereafter, the physician must refer the patient to a specialist of a narrower specialization or prescribe adequate treatment of the problem.
After removing the cause, it is possible to get rid of the plaque, but to accelerate it, it should be accompanied by some special local methods of treatment and prevention.
Hygiene is obligatory because it helps to get rid of bacteria accumulating in the mouth and starting to develop actively since the mouth is an ideal ambient for their reproduction and growth.
One tablespoon of the mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water, then breed for two and a half hours. The broth should be drunk for half a cup three times a day.
If after using all the local methods the plaque remains or even increases and thickens, be sure to consult a doctor, as self-treatment can lead to aggravation of common diseases and their transition into the chronic stage.
If plaque does not look too dense and can be cleaned using washing syringe or oral syringe, it is not a problem then.
There is such a thing due to the fact that the baby is fed in almost all cases, only with the mother’s milk. It is quite fat and has a white color. Part of the milk stays between papillae.
If the phenomenon spreads wider – to the gums and cheeks, as well as accompanied by inflammation of the mucous, then surely it is thrush or candidiasis, resulting from the development of specific bacteria in the oral cavity. To avoid this, you need to thoroughly rinse a baby’s mouth after milk.
If the problem becomes protracted, and the tongue is coated for a long time, be sure to consult your doctor.
If in children on the tongue, there appears a thin, almost translucent white plaque, which is easy to remove, it should not be a cause for concern for parents.
This in most cases is the norm, if a normal pale pink color of the tongue is visible through the thin layering.
If the phenomenon is not only found in the morning but also stays the whole day, then it may be an indication of some diseases and pathologies, especially if already distributed on the cheeks and the palate.