The significance of oral health is also has utmost importance in terms of our general health. Tooth, gum and tongue health not only provides an aesthetically appealing appearance, but also affects the general health condition of our body as they are directly related. An unhealthy condition in the mouth, which is the first step of digestion, can seriously affect the digestive system, respiratory system and other organs like our heart.
Now, do yourself a favour and go to a mirror. Stick out your tongue and examine it. It might have something to tell you because one of the most important organs that we can understand the health condition of the oral system most clearly is the tongue. Our tongue is a vivid indicator that indicates about our health and in this blog we will explore what a healthy tongue should look like and the signals our tongue sends us that we need to be aware of.
Characteristics of a Healthy Tongue
- Pain & Discomfort: There is no pain or discomfort in a healthy tongue.
- Colour: It should have a slightly pink colour.
- Texture: It should have a smooth texture, in addition to the slight roughness due to the papillae.
- Moisture: A healthy tongue is moist, too dry or cracked is not normal.
- Coating: Thin, evenly distributed white coating (not thick or patchy).
Signs of an Unhealthy Tongue
- Discoloured tongue like black , brown or bright red
- Tongue with altered texture such as hairy
- Wounds or ulcers on the tongue
- Swollen tongue
- Severe sensitisation
- White stained tongue
How Can We Keep Our Tongue Healthy?
We have some responsibilities to protect our tongue health. The most important of these is to pay attention to oral hygiene. To ensure this, it is sufficient to brush our teeth after meals, use dental floss and mouthwash and to do so regularly. Without truma you can clean your own tongue, you do not need to have expensive tongue cleaning sessions to have a healthy tongue unless you have a special health condition. Seeing a dentist every 6 months helps us to detect any decay or infection in the mouth. In addition, drinking enough water, not being dehydrated prevents the proliferation of bacteria.
Eating a balanced and regular diet is also one of our major responsibilities in contributing to our tongue health, especially eating foods high in vitamins such as vitamin d, b12, iron directly improves our oral and tongue health. In addition to our diet, the most effective step we can take to maintain and improve tongue health is to reduce or completely stop smoking and alcohol, which considerably reduces the risk of infection and discolouration.
When Should the Alarm Ring?
The alarm actually means that when we observe what is observed in our tongue, it is time to see a dentist or a doctor?
If there is swelling, pain, discomfort in your tongue, if it prevents you from speaking, eating, swallowing; In addition, if the colour has changed and this has happened in a fast time interval (eg. 2 weeks), it is worth seeing your doctor. It may be a pre-signal of a disease, health condition.
For example, let’s underline a few situations here to create an example in your mind;
- If your tongue is yellow, it indicates a proliferation of bacteria,
- White may mean thrush or tongue fungus,
- Purple/blue may mean that your oxygen level is low.
In Conclusion In this blog, we highlighted together how a healthy tongue should be, the characteristics of an unhealthy tongue, and how we can protect our tongue and oral health in general. Don’t take the tongue lightly; it is truly an organ that we must care for and maintain at least as much as our teeth. However, most people are not even aware that tongue cleaning is a thing, even though our tongue is highly prone to becoming a breeding ground for bacteria and making us sick, starting from our digestive system. We hope this blog encourages you to pay attention to your tongue health and recognize the signals it gives. Even the smallest awareness makes a difference!