how to make a white tongue pink again
December 20, 2015 5:28 AM Subscribe
My tongue is white and gross. I went to the doctor and she looked at it and told me that it looked like hairy tongue, and that there wasn’t anything to do about it. But it looks gross and things taste bad and my teeth feel coated all the time, so I’m looking for some home remedies to fix it or to mitigate it.
It’s not cracked. Just covered in white grossness, which is thicker at the back of my tongue. It’s been like that for over a year. I can’t remember when it started, but I think it might have been when my doctors gave me a 3-month course of corticosteroids to calm down some joint inflammation. I don’t feel particularly stuffed up or like I have a sinus infection. I drink lots of water and eat a lot of veggies. Do you have any suggestions for getting rid of this? Should I cut back on sugar or dairy? Gargle with something? Use a neti pot? Help!
It’s not cracked. Just covered in white grossness, which is thicker at the back of my tongue. It’s been like that for over a year. I can’t remember when it started, but I think it might have been when my doctors gave me a 3-month course of corticosteroids to calm down some joint inflammation. I don’t feel particularly stuffed up or like I have a sinus infection. I drink lots of water and eat a lot of veggies. Do you have any suggestions for getting rid of this? Should I cut back on sugar or dairy? Gargle with something? Use a neti pot? Help!
Best answer: Use a tongue scraper? They're cheap. It seems to work for me, although I have not gone scraper-free for a long time.
posted by carter at 6:02 AM on December 20, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by carter at 6:02 AM on December 20, 2015 [11 favorites]
Do you use a mouthwash? My general oral health has been much better since I started using Listerine (or equivalent) once a day.
posted by ocherdraco at 6:18 AM on December 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ocherdraco at 6:18 AM on December 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Did you change mouthwash? Because my tongue does this if I use certain mouthwashes, e.g. Listerine or one variety of ACT, but not others.
posted by wintersweet at 7:55 AM on December 20, 2015
posted by wintersweet at 7:55 AM on December 20, 2015
Best answer: Try brushing your tongue every time you brush your teeth. Next step is the scraper.
Also, wtf with your doctor? While it's not harmful, it's bothering you and there's a known cause and remedy.
posted by zennie at 7:56 AM on December 20, 2015 [7 favorites]
Also, wtf with your doctor? While it's not harmful, it's bothering you and there's a known cause and remedy.
posted by zennie at 7:56 AM on December 20, 2015 [7 favorites]
Best answer: You could try keeping your mouth hydrated - drink sips of water frequently all day long. That could help. I know that moisture can affect the flora in your mouth.
You could also try gargling with salt water a few times to see if that has any salutary effect.
These are just brainstorming ideas, but based on experience.
One question: is there any chance you're breathing through your mouth at night, which would dry it out?
posted by amtho at 8:25 AM on December 20, 2015
You could also try gargling with salt water a few times to see if that has any salutary effect.
These are just brainstorming ideas, but based on experience.
One question: is there any chance you're breathing through your mouth at night, which would dry it out?
posted by amtho at 8:25 AM on December 20, 2015
Best answer: I used to get all kinds of canker sores and mouth problems that diminished a great deal when I started eating yogurt (active cultures, probiotic, etc.) for every breakfast. My dentist recently said that my gums and mouth look really good - even though I don't do anything special except the yogurt and also mouthwash in the morning.
posted by Mid at 8:34 AM on December 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Mid at 8:34 AM on December 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
See another doctor because this is text-book oral thrush.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:48 AM on December 20, 2015 [23 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 9:48 AM on December 20, 2015 [23 favorites]
It might be oral thrush, which can be a result of taking steroids and/or antibiotics. It's the same Candida fungus as yeast infections, except occurring in your mouth. I've had this happen before, and it sounds a great deal like what you're describing. If that's the case, a short course of antifungals would clear it up. I would get an opinion from a second doctor, anyhow.
posted by Gneisskate at 9:49 AM on December 20, 2015
posted by Gneisskate at 9:49 AM on December 20, 2015
Response by poster: You guys have convinced me that I should go get another opinion. Would it be better to go to an ear, nose, and throat doctor or to a dentist?
The doctor who brushed me off happened to be an ENT, but I guess that doesn't mean much really.
posted by colfax at 11:10 AM on December 20, 2015
The doctor who brushed me off happened to be an ENT, but I guess that doesn't mean much really.
posted by colfax at 11:10 AM on December 20, 2015
I'd go to another doctor and mention that this is a change that occurred after a longer course of corticosteriods and that you're concerned it could be oral thrush. This sounds a lot like thrush to me as well.
posted by quince at 11:21 AM on December 20, 2015
posted by quince at 11:21 AM on December 20, 2015
Any GP / internist / family doctor can diagnose oral thrush. It is extremely common in babies. You do not need an ENT or a dentist (which seems weird to me; this is not a dental issue.)
posted by DarlingBri at 1:49 PM on December 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 1:49 PM on December 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Before I went through the hassle of a second opinion, I'd call your first doctor and see if they think it might be thrush. If you saw them recently, they might agree and call in a script for you.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:05 PM on December 20, 2015
posted by Rock Steady at 4:05 PM on December 20, 2015
This might be a bit "woo" in the eyes of many other mefites, but this is the sort of thing that traditional Chinese medicine pays a lot of attention to and, in my experience, is quite good at dealing with. Because TCM emphasizes restoring balance over direct treatment (e.g., antibiotics or antifungals), the approach may be something like recommending you to eat more or less of a certain type of food(s). It's not as straightforward as simply avoiding dairy or sugar-- TCM has its own system of food energetics that to the western eye might appear really arbitrary and unscientific. Still, I do personally believe that certain aspects of TCM make sense (even as somebody trained in allopathic/Western medicine). So... if you live in an area that has a TCM clinic, perhaps you could seek a consult there?
posted by gemutlichkeit at 10:38 PM on December 20, 2015
posted by gemutlichkeit at 10:38 PM on December 20, 2015
Tomorrow, go out and buy a fresh pineapple. Cut it up. Eat it. (not too much at one time, it's very acidic). My father and brother both get tongue mung and their doctor recommended fresh pineapple. It usually clears it up entirely within two days.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 2:34 AM on December 21, 2015
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 2:34 AM on December 21, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for all of your answers, everyone!
posted by colfax at 2:46 AM on December 21, 2015
posted by colfax at 2:46 AM on December 21, 2015
Best answer: See another doctor because this is text-book oral thrush.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:48 AM on December 20 [20 favorites +] [!]
Don't take advice from random people on the internet because this is textbook armchair diagnosing.
You have gotten good advice here already, which is to brush your tongue and switch toothpaste/mouth rinse and see if the white coating goes away.
White hairy tongue is cause by normal oral flora on overgrown papilla (the carpet of the top of your tongue), and it can be reversed. if you are a smoker it will be nearly impossible.
Oral thrush (candidiasis) is also part of a differential diagnosis, but is not the most likely thing in a normal healthy person. There are,in fact, several conditions that this might be, and some of them are serious, so yes, see someone and get it checked.
An ENT or a dentist are qualified to make the correct diagnosis, but a dentist is more likely to offer simple, good hygiene advice and get it cleaned up for you, whereas an ENT's practice is not likely to be set up for this.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:18 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by DarlingBri at 9:48 AM on December 20 [20 favorites +] [!]
Don't take advice from random people on the internet because this is textbook armchair diagnosing.
You have gotten good advice here already, which is to brush your tongue and switch toothpaste/mouth rinse and see if the white coating goes away.
White hairy tongue is cause by normal oral flora on overgrown papilla (the carpet of the top of your tongue), and it can be reversed. if you are a smoker it will be nearly impossible.
Oral thrush (candidiasis) is also part of a differential diagnosis, but is not the most likely thing in a normal healthy person. There are,in fact, several conditions that this might be, and some of them are serious, so yes, see someone and get it checked.
An ENT or a dentist are qualified to make the correct diagnosis, but a dentist is more likely to offer simple, good hygiene advice and get it cleaned up for you, whereas an ENT's practice is not likely to be set up for this.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:18 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by thetortoise at 5:48 AM on December 20, 2015 [5 favorites]