There can be many reasons for a white appearance on your tongue. Most often, it is due to overgrowth or inflammation of the finger-like projection on the surface of the tongue known as papillae. Common causes of this overgrowth (hypertrophy of papillae) include:
- Mouth breathing
- Poor oral hygeine
- Dehydration
- Smoking and alcohol abuse
- Pressure or trauma from malaligned teeth/sharp teeth
Other causes of a white patch on the tongue include:
- Oral thrush (this is due to a fungal infection and has a creamy appearance. Parts of it can be scraped off. It is usually itchy and can be easily treated with a course of antifungal medications)
- Leukoplakia (this is a focal area of white patcg that cannot be scraped off - a biopsy is usually required to rule out cancer/precancerous lesions)
- Tongue cancer - this tend to present with a firm/hard often irregular or ulcerative growth.
The causes listed are not meant to be complete and you should get your tongue checked by a GP first. A GP can easily treat oral thrush or advise you on measures to take to reduce papillae hypertrophy.
If a GP is concerned, he or she can refer you to either an ENT Specialist or a dentist with special qualifications (often called oral dental surgeon or an oral & maxillofacial dental surgeon) for an assessment. Hope this helps and all the best!
