Causes, symptoms and treatment of white plaque on the tongue
Decreased function of the salivary glands at night leads to the formation of a whitish plaque on the tongue as a result of the vital activity of bacteria. It can be accompanied by unpleasant odors in the mouth, bad breath. The thickness, color and localization of plaque are related to its causes. Normally, it is removed during hygiene procedures after brushing your teeth. Re-formation of plaque during the day does not occur if there are no disturbances in the functioning of organs and their systems in the body.
The largest number of pathogenic bacteria accumulate at the base of the tongue, since this part is least involved in movement. In addition, the layer of plaque in this area has the greatest thickness. Therefore, at the base, the language should be processed most carefully. But in what cases is it enough to get rid of plaque only by daily brushing of the teeth and oral cavity, and when does it become a sign of serious problems in the body?
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Content:
- Symptoms of white plaque on the tongue
- Causes of white plaque on the tongue
- White coating on the tongue of a newborn
- Treatment of white plaque in the tongue
- How to properly remove white plaque from the tongue?
Symptoms of white plaque on the tongue
Plaque indicative of pathologies is characterized by the following signs:
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Thick. In a normal state, it is small. At the initial stages of the development of some diseases, the thickness of the white plaque is even less. For example, with a cold or flu. A sufficiently deep layer of plaque covers the tongue in the presence of chronic infections. Its thickness in this case is determined by the degree of development of the disease.
- Character. In accordance with this feature, plaque can be classified into wet and dry, cheesy, oily. Often this characteristic is determined even by the season of the year. So, when summer comes, the plaque takes on a denser texture. By autumn, it dries up and becomes barely noticeable.
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Color. This characteristic of plaque is the most striking and allows us to assume with high accuracy the reasons for its appearance. Light shades indicate that the disease is just beginning to develop. The dark color of the plaque confirms a dangerous pathology. In this case, the infection is already in its late stages, and it is necessary to diagnose and begin treatment as soon as possible. A greenish or black color indicates the presence of serious diseases. Plaque is gray if the patient has disturbances in the digestive tract. So, this phenomenon is one of the symptoms of peptic ulcer disease. Considering the shade of plaque, it is necessary to take into account what drinks and food the patient ate. Often, an uncharacteristically dark color is caused by food and drugs.
- Place of localization. Depending on this, 2 types of plaque are distinguished. When diffuse, it covers the tongue completely. In the case of a local form, plaque is concentrated in certain areas. By its location, it is determined which organs are impaired.
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Ease of separation from the tongue. The denser the plaque, the more difficult it is to clean it and the more serious the disease of which it is a symptom. In normal condition, it should be soft, easy to remove from the tongue. This is what usually happens in the morning. As the disease progresses, it becomes denser and acquires a more intense shade. From blueberries, strong tea, beets, coffee, the tongue takes on a different color than it should be in its natural state. This should not cause concern, as well as the morning light and thin bloom. But it is necessary to consult a doctor if the white film on the tongue is dense, difficult to peel off and, after a complete treatment of the oral cavity, soon appears again.
Bad smell
With the formation of white plaque on the tongue, a phenomenon such as halitosis is associated. This term in medicine refers to bad breath. Its nature can be explained as follows. During their vital activity, anaerobic bacteria in the mouth secrete various compounds, including hydrogen sulfide. Exceeding the concentration of these substances in the inhaled air leads to an unpleasant odor. If the number of bacteria is not more than the permissible norm, it will not be there. However, the smell is enhanced by their multiplication in the oral cavity, on the mucous membranes.
Factors contributing to the development of halitosis:
- Hygiene. It is often caused by irregular or poor hygiene. The oral cavity must be thoroughly cleaned twice a day. The main thing is not to neglect the tongue, since the maximum number of pathogens is concentrated on its back. In the same area, the densest and thickest layer of plaque is localized.
- Caries. Another factor associated with bad breath is tooth decay. The cavities affected by it become a place of accumulation and multiplication of pathogenic bacteria. It is difficult to clean them during oral hygiene, which is associated with the high resistance of caries. If left untreated, it will progress. Not only caries, but also periodontitis can cause an unpleasant odor. Such inflammation of the gums occurs due to injury to the jaw or the activity of a microbial agent. In addition to the formation of plaque on the tongue and halitosis, periodontitis is accompanied by the release of viscous saliva, bleeding, which makes the process of chewing hard food painful.
As a second large group of causes of bad breath, various infections and diseases are distinguished:
- These can be disturbances in the functioning of the intestines and stomach, hormonal changes in the body, and even tonsillitis.
- If a thick white coating on the tongue is caused by diseases of the gallbladder or kidneys, then the smell is pungent and heavy. It is possible to eliminate such occurrences by curing the infection that provoked them.
- As with plaque, halitosis can be caused by certain foods. For example, garlic and raw onions. They lead to the formation of sulfur compounds, resulting in bad breath. Alcoholic beverages, coffee and medicines work in a similar way.
- In rare cases, halitosis appears in patients who are addicted to fasting, diets. Lack of protein and fat in the diet causes the smell. It is also caused by stress and emotional stress.
A special device - a halimeter - allows you to diagnose halitosis. In addition, an examination of the oral cavity, including the tongue, is carried out to detect unhealthy plaque. To combat unpleasant odors, it is usually sufficient to follow simple rules of hygiene and give up bad habits. Abuse of alcohol and smoking often leads to halitosis. Cases where the cause of unpleasant odor and plaque is a serious illness are less common.
Causes of white plaque on the tongue
Failure to perform oral hygiene procedures
By neglecting brushing their teeth and tongue, many themselves create a favorable environment for the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria, and therefore for the formation of plaque. Daily oral hygiene will get rid of the white film without the help of doctors. Natural white plaque that appears on the tongue in the morning should be easily removed with massage movements. Morning and evening cleaning is sufficient, if the cause of the film is not any disease of the internal organs and their systems.
Lichen planus
Its main symptom is the formation of papules, which combine into plaques in the oral cavity. Depending on the type of lichen lichen, they have different localization. The erosive type is accompanied by the appearance of reddish-yellow papules on the cheeks and tongue. In this case, lichen lichen develops quickly and is painful. Its asymptomatic plaque form is identified by its characteristic irregularly shaped light spots. Since they often form on the tongue, they are mistaken for plaque. In fact, white dense formations are the external manifestation of lichen planus. They can also be found on the inside of the cheeks.
Patients should be careful, as a seemingly safe white plaque may be a symptom of this disease. It cannot be cleaned with a brush. Lichen planus causes complications. If it is suspected, a tissue biopsy is performed. Since lichen planus can also be caused by another disease, treatment should be comprehensive. In addition to drug therapy, the oral cavity is sanitized to minimize the pain caused by ulcers during meals.
Bronchitis
Plaque on the tongue appears when this disease becomes chronic. Bronchitis is an inflammatory process that affects the bronchi. The acute form of the disease is caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Chronic bronchitis is a complication of it or an independent infection caused by prolonged exposure to an irritant, such as dust. Bronchitis is transmitted by airborne droplets. However, initially its pathogens are various viruses, allergens, and toxic substances.
The development and symptoms of bronchitis in the initial stages resemble a cold or flu. Its first symptom is a dry cough, which turns into a wet cough after a few days. The patient feels weak, the temperature rises, indicating an inflammatory process. A white coating on the tongue is immediately noticeable. By this first symptom, one can judge the presence of pathogenic viruses in the body. Cough with bronchitis does not go away for a long time, and therefore the treatment can last for months. For this reason, it is important not to trigger the disease.
Drug therapy, drinking plenty of fluids, bed rest, rubbing, humidifying the air in the room where the patient is located - all this allows you to cope with bronchitis and thus get rid of white plaque on the tongue.
Dysbacteriosis of the oral cavity
It is a consequence of intestinal dysbiosis or prolonged use of antibiotics. When the oral cavity is damaged, this disease proceeds in several stages. The first of them is associated with a dysbiotic shift, when opportunistic bacteria begin to multiply. There are no external manifestations of the disease yet. In the early stages, they are already noticeable, but weakly. Only 3 and 4 degrees of dysbiosis are characterized by pronounced external symptoms, including the formation of a white plaque on the tongue.
Dysbiosis can be determined by a burning sensation in the mouth, an unpleasant taste in the mouth and odor from it. In the later stages of the disease, changes in the mucous membrane are added to these symptoms. First of all, it is catarrhal stomatitis, which manifests itself in the form of edema, ulceration, salivation. The inflammatory process is accompanied by an increase in temperature. Dysbacteriosis of the oral cavity in some cases affects the pharynx, tonsils and gums.
Treatment involves the elimination of the disease that caused the inflammation. As a rule, it is associated with the gastrointestinal tract. You should stop eating sweets and taking antibiotics, since these factors aggravate the course of dysbiosis. Special therapy is needed only in the later stages of the development of the disease, when most of the healthy microflora is destroyed. In other cases, it is enough to carefully observe personal hygiene, sanitation of the oral cavity and drug treatment with antiseptics, antibiotics, immunomodulators and eubiotics. After recovery, the plaque on the tongue takes on its natural state.
Gastritis
With this disease, the gastric mucosa becomes inflamed, which causes heaviness in it, pain, vomiting, and belching. It can be acute or chronic. Patients of any age suffer from gastritis, which is largely due to improper unbalanced diet.
Depending on the type of disease, it is characterized by different symptoms. With increased acidity in the stomach, gastritis is manifested by belching, pain in the solar plexus region, which intensifies after eating. The stool in this case is liquid. Low acid gastritis is accompanied by rumbling and nausea in the morning, bad breath, and a white coating on the tongue. Pains in the stomach are stabbing and cutting in nature.
Find out more: Diet for gastritis
At home, you can cope with the discomfort and heaviness after eating with gastritis. But after that it is necessary to consult a gastroenterologist, otherwise the acute form will develop into a chronic one.
Ulcer
Among all diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is the internal defects, to which the ulcer belongs, that most often manifest themselves as a plaque on the tongue.
The reasons for its occurrence:
- bad habits
- genetic predisposition
- violation of diet
- eating junk food
With close contact with a sick person, a special bacterium enters the body, the activity of which provokes the formation of ulcers on the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum 12. This is how the ulcer is formed.
Find out more: What is a stomach ulcer? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods
The patient is worried about pain, and you can establish their rhythm. Exacerbations of ulcers occur in autumn and spring. Stomach discomfort occurs after eating. As with many other similar diseases, heartburn is observed, vomiting is possible, plaque formation on the tongue. Lack of drug treatment creates the threat of deep damage to the walls of the stomach. In this case, surgical intervention is required.
Liver failure
This complex of symptoms is associated with abnormalities in the liver, which is caused by damage to the parenchyma. This disease can be both acute and chronic. The plaque in the oral cavity with liver failure is very dense, completely covers the tongue.
The disease occurs in three stages:
- In the first of them, the patient suffers from emotional disorders, lack of appetite, and experiences physical weakness.
- The second stage is characterized by jaundice, edema.
- Serious problems are observed in the later stages of the development of the disease. They consist in profound metabolic disorders, changes in internal organs. The patient may suddenly lose consciousness. It is possible to assume the presence of liver failure by the ammonia smell accompanying a white coating on the tongue.
Stomatitis
This disease, which has many forms, is caused by a number of general and local causes. The first group includes factors such as a lack of vitamins in the body, intestinal infections, stress, malignant formations, changes in metabolism and trauma to the oral mucosa. Stomatitis is often caused by tooth decay, poor dental treatment, dysbiosis, alcohol and smoking. These reasons are considered local.
Slight redness allows to determine the presence of stomatitis. Such a lingering symptom is noticeable at the initial stages of the development of the disease. Gradually, the mucous membrane swells and becomes covered with ulcers. They are oval or round, covered with a film on top. Formation data touched during a meal cause pain. They can be found on the surface of the tongue, gums, cheeks.
If stomatitis is mild, then one ulcer is formed. In the later stages of the disease, the affected areas become more and more, they combine with each other, occupying a significant part of the mucous membrane. General weakness of the patient, fever, headache are also distinguished among the general symptoms. All forms of stomatitis involve the formation of white plaque on the tongue, increased salivation.
You can cope with the disease with the help of professional cleaning. It is performed by a dentist and includes the removal of calculus and soft plaque. After that, the oral cavity is treated with an antiseptic. This therapy, together with home rinsing by the patient, helps to cope with catarrhal stomatitis. The ulcerative and aphthous form of the disease must be treated by resorting to medical procedures in the clinic. Until complete recovery, the patient should avoid eating food that can irritate the mucous membrane.
Since stomatitis can even be associated with an allergic reaction to certain foods, as part of the prevention of the disease, it is necessary to identify allergens and exclude them from the diet. You should get regular check-ups with your dentist and brush your teeth. Compliance with these simple rules will allow you to avoid the development of stomatitis, and therefore the formation of white plaque on the tongue as one of the symptoms of this disease.
Candidiasis
For this reason, plaque usually occurs on the tongue in children. Candidiasis caused by yeast-like fungi is characterized by the appearance in the oral cavity of small white grains, which over time increase in size, acquiring a curdled texture. If you carefully remove them, you will find an inflamed red mucous membrane. Candidiasis affects the central part of the tongue. It is there that the greatest amount of white plaque is concentrated.
In the fight against thrush, such groups of drugs as antimycotics and antiseptics are most effective. The need for systemic therapy arises when a disease from an acute form becomes chronic or progresses with complications. Medical treatment is carried out mainly with the use of aerosols and rinses. Local antiseptics can be addictive, so drugs should be changed periodically.
Antimycotics effective for candidiasis include:
- Nystatin
- Clotrimazole
- Lugol carries out antiseptic treatment
Find out more: 3 most effective home remedies for thrush
In addition, cotton pads with antifungal ointments and gels applied to them are placed on the cheek.
Why does a white coating form on the tongue?
The formation of white plaque on the tongue is normal for a healthy body. Such a not too dense and thick film is easily removed by mechanical cleaning by hand or with a brush. Regular oral hygiene is enough to get rid of white plaque. It can appear due to poor circulation of the tongue. Massage allows you to eliminate this cause. It is performed with the back of the brush in gentle strokes while brushing your teeth.
But if after hygienic procedures the film forms again soon, this is a cause for concern and a visit to the doctor. It is the white bloom that speaks of pathologies in the body. Its localization even suggests which organs are impaired. At the end of the tongue, a white film appears if problems are associated with the respiratory system. Plaque caused by heart disease usually appears in the center. The film on the left side indicates difficulties in the work of the liver, on the right - the pancreas. Gastritis, stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer are possible if the plaque is localized at the base of the tongue. In this case, the film acquires a grayish tint. When plaque is uneven, and is located in spots, the cause of its appearance is most likely a fungal infection.
White coating on the tongue of a newborn
In newborns, breastfeeding is the most common cause of white plaque on the tongue. From milk in the oral cavity, a characteristic color path remains. To make sure plaque is related to feeding, you need to try to clear your tongue. If milk residues are easily removed and the skin beneath them looks healthy, then such a film is not dangerous. It is necessary to pay attention to the behavior of the baby, who in this case has a normal appetite and sleep.
When white plaque is caused by a condition such as candidiasis, sores will also be visible in the mouth. They are located not only on the surface of the tongue, but also on the inside of the cheeks and gums. After cleansing the white plaque with thrush, inflamed areas of the mucous membrane are visible under it. At the same time, the child is often naughty, behaves restlessly, often cries and eats poorly. Thrush is a fungus that provokes inflammation of the mucous membrane.
The reason for the development of the disease is most often non-compliance with simple hygiene rules. To avoid foreign objects entering the baby's mouth, which can become a source of pathogenic bacteria, you should monitor the baby and sterilize nipples, toys, dishes. The mother needs personal hygiene. Giving your baby some plain water after breastfeeding can help cleanse the mouth of milk residues. This reduces the risk of a favorable environment for the reproduction and vital activity of pathogenic bacteria. It is recommended to resort to this method until the child learns to brush his teeth on his own after eating.
In the case of a newborn, plaque can be removed with a finger by wrapping it with a cotton swab dipped in a soda solution. In the same way, you need to treat the breast before feeding to kill bacteria. Care should be taken when handling a child's tongue. Another effective remedy is obtained from a mixture of honey and water. They can also treat the oral cavity or dip the nipple in it, and then give it to the child. Medicines for the treatment of candidiasis should be used only after consulting a specialist.
Plaque on the tongue, caused by thrush in newborns, leads to serious complications and gives a lot of anxiety to the child. It is important to notice the symptoms of the disease in time and consult a doctor.
Treatment of white plaque in the tongue
Regardless of the reasons that triggered the appearance of plaque on the tongue, it is important to observe oral hygiene. It involves daily brushing your teeth in the morning and evening, rinsing after meals to remove food debris and maintain the normal state of the mucous membrane. You need to visit your dentist regularly, as dental problems, such as caries, also contribute to the formation of white plaque. The doctor may also prescribe mouthwash solutions.
If everything is in order with hygiene, and the white bloom does not go away, it is worth observing it for several days. Inspection should be carried out in the morning before breakfast. The thickening and darkening of plaque indicates that it is caused by a disease, and it gradually develops. In this case, you must consult a doctor.
Diagnosis of the disease that causes white plaque is carried out on the basis of a biochemical blood test, bacteriological culture from the surface of the tongue, a coprogram for suspected diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, ultrasound. The studies conducted provide an opportunity to determine what the film has become a symptom of. The main treatment for white plaque in the tongue is directed against the identified disease. After its elimination, all external symptoms disappear.
How to properly remove white plaque from the tongue?
Daily oral hygiene includes brushing your teeth and tongue. It can be done with one brush. The main thing is that on the reverse side it is equipped with a special pad designed for the tongue. All cleaning is done using a paste. Having processed the teeth, it is necessary with gentle movements directed from the base to the end, to pass along the surface of the tongue, which can be poked out a little to simplify the task. You should not put the brush too deep into the oral cavity: this causes the gag reflex.
It is convenient to remove white plaque from the tongue with your fingers. It can be carried out after brushing. Movements should be made, as in the first case, from the base to the tip of the tongue. Wash your fingers more often with running water. To cleanse the tongue from white plaque, you can use ordinary vegetable oil. However, it should be kept in the mouth for at least 5 minutes for high-quality treatment of the entire cavity. With regular carrying out of this procedure, it is possible to completely get rid of plaque.
In conclusion, it should be noted that mechanical removal of the white film from the tongue is ineffective if it is caused by a serious disease of the internal organs. This method of dealing with plaque will not only not be beneficial, but will also aggravate the situation. Therefore, first of all, you should find out the reason for its appearance, and then, if necessary, perform cleaning.
The author of the article: Gorshenina Elena Ivanovna | Gastroenterologist
Education: Diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received at the Russian State Medical University named after N. I. Pirogova (2005). Postgraduate studies in the specialty "Gastroenterology" - educational and scientific medical center.
