Dr. Sunitha

How To Effectively Clean a White Tongue, the Cause of Bad Breath

Have you ever noticed that sometimes you have a white tongue? This condition is something that nobody wants to have. Why? A white tongue not only looks abnormal, but if left untreated, it's a strong indication of a bad breath problem.

People who have a white tongue, also known as a geographic tongue, are definitely more likely to experience an abnormally colored tongue. Geographic tongue simply means a tongue that has lots of grooves and fissures in it. These grooves and fissures make an excellent breeding ground for the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath. Under certain conditions, a geographic tongue can be white, yellow, even black in color. A geographic tongue can also be coated and sometimes dry and cracked. The way around this problem is simply making sure that your tongue is kept as clean as possible.

Tongue cleaning or scraping is a process that the majority of people in the United States don't do on a daily basis. Yet, it's one of the most important steps you can take to keep your breath clean and fresh!

MYTHS ABOUT CLEANING A WHITE TONGUE

MYTH #1: You have to scrape hard to clean a white tongue. This is false! You do not need to scrape your tongue so hard that it bleeds. In general, pressing harder does not remove more bacteria. You simply need to press hard enough that the tongue cleaner you're using is pressed flush across the surface. Try not to leave any gaps.

MYTH #2: Tongue Cleaning Alone Prevents Bad Breath. This is also false! Tongue cleaning alone does not kill the bacteria that cause bad breath that are breeding below the surface of a white tongue. It simply removes the gunk on the surface. This gunk (mucus and food debris) is a food source for anaerobic bacteria.

MYTH #3: You must use a complex, expensive gizmo to successfully clean your tongue. Again false! Really, all you need is a fairly rigid instrument, that you can easily make flush on the surface of your white tongue and cover the largest area possible. Those electronic tongue cleaners you see can be helpful if you have arthritis, difficulty with coordination, or in general have a tough time performing some simple actions, which I'll outline below.

Tongue cleaning is really not that difficult to do, and it's not even very time consuming. That extra minute or two you spend on your tongue per day can reap huge rewards in preventing bad breath. It'll help prevent this condition, return it to it's normal color, and most importantly cut down on bad breath.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO SUCCESSFULLY CLEAN A WHITE TONGUE

STEP 1: Starting at the base of your tongue, place a tongue cleaner/scraper flush against your tongue's surface and make slow sweeping strokes from the back to the front. You can start at either side of your tongue and work your way across to the other side. Depending on the tongue cleaner you are using, you might need to make three to four different swaths across your white tongue.

STEP 2: Once the surface debris from your white tongue has been removed, apply a small bead of toothpaste to the head of your tongue cleaner. Make sure your toothpaste does not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate because this ingredient will dry out your mouth.

STEP 3: Gently coat the surface of your tongue (as far back as possible without gagging yourself) with the toothpaste. This allows the toothpaste to penetrate below the surface of your tongue and neutralize those sulfur-producing anaerobic bacteria. Believe it or not, there are more bacteria in the rear of your tongue than in the front!

STEP 4: Once your tongue is coated, allow the toothpaste to stay on the surface of your tongue as long as you can. Up to 90 seconds is ideal. If you begin to cough, or your gag reflex kicks in, that's okay, just spit whenever you need to.

STEP 5: Ideally, it's best to leave the toothpaste on the surface of your tongue, while you brush your teeth normally.

Get oral prophylaxis done and sensodyne should not be used regularly. It is used only in case of sensitive tooth otherwise use colgate total paste.

Bleaching: teeth bleaching is the cosmetic proceedure to brighten your teeth. There are many ways of getting this proceedure from a registered dentist. Most commonly practised are, 1) office bleach: where the bleachant is applied on your teeth and we get results immediately within a span of 30-45 mins adv: quick results disadvantage: results don't last long (8-12 months) 2) home bleach: where the dentist makes a tray of your fitting and the bleachant is given to you and also demonstrated the application proceedure. You apply this for a period of 7 days and gradually you see your teeth brightens up. Adv: longer lasting results 1.5 to 2 years disadvantage: time consuming 3) combination bleach (office and home): office bleach performed as above mentioned and also home bleach performed as mentioned above adv: longest results > 3 yrs disadvantage: expensive all the above mentioned results last if the diet contains less of colouring substances and with approved products of bleachant. Please do not buy for online products and self prescribe it as it can have severe damaging effects on the teeth. Consult your dentist for expert opinion and for the best bleachant to be used. I hope I clarified your doubt if not revert back to me.

aayush, you need to visit a dentist for the same. you need to have scaling and polishing of your teeth, as it is because of the gum infection that your gums are bleeding. these procedures will also improve the colour of your teeth upto some extent. but if you want them white then go for bleaching treatment.

All toothpaste have nearly similar ingredients like Abrasives, Fluorides, Surfactants, Antibacterial agents, Flavourants, Remineralizers, Fluoride, Diethylene glycol, Triclosan etc. Only the wrong brushing technique that we follow harms our teeth and gums. So consult your dentist, learn proper brushing technique, Brush your teeth twice a day, up & down short vertical strokes, with ultra-soft bristles, indicator brush to protect your teeth and gums from plaque and calculus. Floss your teeth inter dentally once a day. Tooth brush to be changed every 2 months. Consume a healthy diet rich in vegetables and lean protein. Eating fruits is much better than drinking juices. Reduce your intake of sugary foods and beverages. Gargle your mouth thoroughly after every meal. Drink plenty of fluoridated tap water. Drink not consume alcohol drinks. Don’t smoke.

It is very much possible but the patient has to checked and a treatment plan chalked out. There are options of composite fillings and crowns /veeners depending on the situation. Please consult a dentist for the same.

First thing get your teeth cleaned and go for splinting if possible and get the missing teeth replaced you may require gingival surgery too do not delay or else condition may worsen n you may loosen few more teeth.

Take good amount of Vitamin C.. Massage gums with turmeric and a little amount of salt.. Use homoeopathic toothpaste Heklalava by Wheezal... If these does not help then consult for proper treatment..

There is not any home remedy for this type of staining.You have to go to the dentist bleaching, scaling and polishing done.

Eating a piece of cheese after a meal helps in pulling away some of the plaque and leftover tiny food particles from meals. And since it contains calcium, it adds to the health of teeth and bones as well.

Hello, you can take homoeopathic medicine Kreosotum 30 ( 4 drops in little water) thrice a day for a week.

Please do not forget to do warm saline gargles - luke warm water with pinch of salt in it at least 3 times a day.

Do not worry it is a very common problem. You should visit a dentist and get yourself examined. After examination and radiographs the dentist can suggest a treatment plan to you. You will have to get rid of your milk teeth and proceed with orthodontics (braces).

Do you have any sweet and cold sensitivity in that tooth. I advice to get the x-ray done of that tooth and send me the x-ray picture for further diagnosis.

Kindly get scaling done and use gum paint and mouthwash twice daily for 15 days. Brush your teeth twice daily using correct brushing technique and maintain your oral hygiene.

Sir pls consult your dentist n go for scaling n polishing for bleeding gums n restorations or rct for your decayed teeth.

It is due to gentical or harmonal problem they have to be removed they can be removed by doing surgery.

Sir avoid too large openings for few days. Do warm saline gargles. And get urself checked by dentist for further correction.

Eat lot of fruits & green leafy vegetables & drink plenty of water. We need more investigations with clinical examination to decide upon treatment. You may need coronoplasty (smoothen teeth edges) along with t. Rebagen 10, morning one tab & one at night for 5 days, c. Becosules 5 cap, for five days in the morning after meals. Hexigel ointment on the area of ulcer. Rinse your mouth thoroughly with a mouth wash after every meals. Dental tips: - visit a dentist every six months for cleaning and a thorough dental check-up. Limit sugary food to avoid tooth decay. Gargle your mouth thoroughly after every meal. Scrub gently to clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner. Floss all your teeth inter dentally & brush twice daily, morning & night, up & down short vertical strokes, with ultra-soft bristles, indicator brush. Tooth brush to be changed every 2 months.

Flossing is as important as brushing on a daily basis. Taking the floss all the way down to the point where the teeth and gums meet is the appropriate way of doing it.