White Spots on Tongue

Tongue is the strongest and one of the most active muscles in the body. The tongue is normally pinkish-red in color, but in certain conditions when there is a deviation from normalcy, there may be the appearance of white spots on tongue. White spots on tongue is not a disease but merely a symptom that is seen in many oral conditions, some benign and harmless and some serious. Although on most occasions, these white spots on tongue are asymptomatic in nature, there are times when they may be accompanied by pain and burning sensation in the mouth, especially on the intake of spicy food. Given below are the causes and treatment of white spots on tongue.

Causes of White Spots on Tongue

Oral Thrush
If you're wondering as to what causes white spots on tongue, then one of the answers is oral thrush. Oral thrush is a form of candidiasis that can affect any part of the oral cavity. However, on most occasions, oral thrush is seen on the palate and tongue. Oral thrush on palate is mostly due to faulty and ill-fitting dentures, which often not only lead to oral thrush but also angular cheilitis. This occurs because in cases of loose fitting dentures, there is space present between the palate and the denture, where saliva remains stagnant, due to which it acts as a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. However, tongue yeast infection is mostly seen in immunocompromised people as an opportunistic infection. Hence, it is seen that AIDS patients often suffer from oral thrush. Oral thrush manifests itself in form of white spots on tongue, which may occur as patches or as a uniform coating of the tongue.

Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia is an oral pre-cancerous lesion that can affect any part of the oral cavity. Leukoplakia is most often seen in cases of people that chew tobacco or place tobacco in a certain part of their mouth for long durations of time, though it can also be seen in people who smoke tobacco as well. This condition is said to be pre-cancerous because there is excessive growth of cells in this case. This leads to the presence of white spots on tongue and other parts of the oral cavity. Although this condition is often asymptomatic, it needs to be diagnosed at the earliest to prevent the condition from turning into tongue cancer. Also, once leukoplakia is seen in the oral cavity, chewing tobacco should be completely stopped.

Lichen Planus
Oral lichen planus is a condition where there is tongue discoloration in the form of raised white lines or lace like patterns in the oral cavity, either on the buccal mucosa or the tongue. Although the exact cause for this condition is not known, it is said that it maybe linked to the use of tobacco and excessive stress. If the person has a habit of chewing tobacco, then it is best that he stops this habit immediately, as lichen planus may in that case act as a pre-cancerous lesion.

Geographic Tongue
Geographic tongue is a condition where there is loss of filiform papillae on the dorsal surface of the tongue, which causes that part of the tongue to look bald, while the outline of the lesion appears as white spots on tongue. Although the exact cause of geographic tongue is not known, it is said that it maybe an oral manifestation of psoriasis, because in this condition, there are white, dry flaky patches seen on the skin of the person as well. Some believe that it is also seen in relation to asthma, eczema, allergies, etc. while some believe that it maybe caused due to stress. This condition also shows a tendency to run in families. The loss of filiform papillae in the form of irregular patches gives an appearance of white spots on tongue. Also, these patches disappear and reappear on different parts of the tongue after certain time intervals, due to which it is also called benign migratory glossitis. Although this condition is normally said to be asymptomatic and is not dangerous or malignant at all, it has increased in occurrence in patients suffering from diabetes and AIDS.

Other Conditions
There are certain other conditions that can lead to white spots on tongue, or they may simply give the appearance of white spots on tongue by mimicking this symptom. Such conditions include balding of tongue, tongue ulcers, enlarged and stained taste buds and white hairy tongue. Of all these conditions, white hairy tongue is often the most alarming of conditions, when in fact, it simply denotes the overgrowth of filiform papillae. It is not necessarily a disease, but merely a symptom which is easily removable with the help of a tongue scraper. The good news is that filiform papillae are not associated with taste and this condition is often asymptomatic and is non-contagious, hence, there is not much cause for worry. In certain cases, very dry, fissured and cracked tongue may also exhibit white spots on tongue.

Treatment of White Spots on Tongue

The treatment of white spots on tongue will depend on the factor causing it. In case of pre-cancerous lesions, it is of utmost importance that the person stops the intake of tobacco completely. He must get the condition properly diagnosed though, to begin with, after which the doctor will mostly prescribe vitamin A supplements and ointments to apply on the lesion. Geographic tongue treatment is not really required, though if the condition is very painful, then the person can use certain topical anesthetizing agents for relief. To cure oral thrush you will need to use topical antifungal creams. Also, if the person is using ill-fitting dentures, then he should get them properly fitted.

Thus, white spots on tongue is not necessarily an alarming condition and is often only a symptom. However, if the condition gets painful and persists for a very long time, then it is best to visit a doctor and get the condition diagnosed and treated at the earliest to prevent any further complications.