The strongest muscle in your body, your tongue has a heavy workload in comparison to other parts of your body. Aside from helping you eat, speak, taste, and express emotion, your tongue can also give clues to your health. Our Waco dentist, Dr. Corbet Locke, will explain some of the ways your tongue can show what is going on in the rest of your body.
Tongue Sores
Perhaps one of the most important ways you can assess your tongue is to look for signs of oral cancer. One of the most common ways oral cancer presents itself is through sore spots or white splotchy patches on your tongue. If you notice a mouth sore has not healed in about one week contact your Waco dentist immediately for an oral cancer screening.
Pasty White Tongue
A white coating on your tongue can signal an infection. These tongue coatings may appear pale or pasty, covering the top part of your tongue. This may be a sign of thrush. A yeast infection in the mouth, thrush is usually easily treated with anti-fungal medication or eating yogurt with probiotics.
Tongue Discoloration
Different colors on your tongue may represent different health conditions. This is not the same reaction as drinking purple Kool-Aid or eating a blue sno-cone. For instance, a yellow tongue may be a sign of acid reflux or a bacterial infection. Pale tongues can indicate anemia, a condition where your blood is iron deficient and deprives your tongue of the oxygen needed to stay a healthy pink.
Oral Cancer Screenings and Dental Checkups in Waco
If you notice an unusual sign on your tongue or inside your mouth, contact your Waco dental office as soon as possible. At a dental checkup, our Waco dentist, Dr. Locke, can perform diagnostic tests and oral cancer screenings to give you peace of mind and determine a treatment plan. For more information, call our dental office in Waco at 254-776-4888.