Are you worried because you have ever seen your tongue yellowing? This anomaly is usually temporary and can be due to many causes, from an oral hygiene problem to a systemic disease. Here are all the factors that can cause yellow tongue and when you should see a specialist.
What is yellow tongue?
Yellow tongue is an abnormal coloration of the tongue, since in its optimal state of health it would remain pink. Often this condition first manifests itself as a grayish or whitish color.
It is a harmless problem, but it is still a symptom that alerts us to some irregularity in our organism that should be treated.
Causes of yellow tongue
The main factors that can develop yellow tongue are the following:
- Poor oral hygiene habits: this is one of the most common origins of yellow tongue, and warns of a high accumulation of bacteria in the taste buds. Normally this yellowish discoloration will be accompanied by halitosis, and can be avoided by maintaining a proper oral hygiene routine. It is advisable to visit the dentist for preventive dentistry to check this type of problem.
Yellow tongue is also common in babies due to a lack of knowledge that we should clean the baby’s mouth after taking a bottle to avoid the accumulation of bacterial plaque in the mouth.
- Smoking: nicotine, present in tobacco, is an aggressive component capable of staining many areas of the mouth, such as teeth and taste buds. In addition, smoking reduces salivation and thickens saliva, so that the mouth dries more easily and more bacteria accumulate on the tongue.
- Dietary problems: foods rich in sugars and dyes or some beverages such as coffee and tea can also cause the tongue to yellow. In many cases this factor will be combined with a lack of hydration, which also favors the proliferation of bacteria that accumulate on the tongue. To avoid them, we leave you here a series of foods to take care of your teeth that can be beneficial to your health.
- Respiratory problems: dry mouth causes a greater accumulation of bacteria, so if you have a cold, sinusitis or any pathology that leads you to breathe through your mouth, this will also facilitate the yellowing of the tongue.
- Infectious diseases: although it is not in most cases, some infections such as oral candidiasis can turn the tongue yellow or white. Jaundice also often manifests this symptom on the tongue.
When should you see a dentist if you have a yellow tongue?
The first step in treating yellow tongue is to improve oral hygiene habits. In our dental clinic we perform one-hour oral hygiene and gum maintenance sessions, removing all bacterial plaque from our patients to prevent caries and gum disease. We also instruct them on how to use the electric toothbrush and interdental brushes to prevent plaque build-up until their next maintenance.
In many cases, the yellow tongue will disappear in a few days after improving oral hygiene, but if it does not disappear or if other symptoms such as inflammation or itching develop, it is important to see a specialist as soon as possible.
In Puyuelo Dental Clinic we have a team of dentists in Barcelona and specialists with extensive experience to detect the origin of yellow tongue and solve this symptom by acting directly on the cause that causes it.
