White Tongue Causes

The tongue consists of a dorsal surface, which is the visible surface that is velvety and red and the ventral surface, which is smooth and pink. The normal tongue, thus, is mostly seen to be reddish in color. There are many tongue diseases which lead to alterations in the physical appearance of the tongue. Given below are the various white tongue causes which will help you understand what the underlying disease leading to this tongue discoloration is.

Oral Candidiasis
One of the most common white tongue causes is candidiasis. Candidiasis is a yeast infection that occurs due to the fungus Candida albicans. This oral opportunistic infection is most often seen in people who have a weak or compromised immune system. It can also occur as a result of ill-fitting dentures or prostheses. In this disease, there is the presence of white spots on tongue and/or the palate. These white spots or patches normally appear as white velvety flecks that are present uniformly on the dorsal surface of the tongue. These patches can often be removed, which then exposes raw bleeding areas on the tongue. Oral yeast infection is one of the leading causes. Bad breath and burning sensation are the other symptoms that are also seen.

Leukoplakia
Another common cause includes leukoplakia. Leukoplakia is a pre-cancerous lesion that can affect any part of the oral cavity, although the tongue and the buccal mucosa are the most commonly affected regions. This is because, in people that chew tobacco, leukoplakic patches are seen in regions where the tobacco is placed in the oral cavity. These patches may be uniform or may be present in the form of specks. They are not removable and thus, do not disappear on scraping (which is an easy way of distinguishing them from oral candidiasis). They are normally asymptomatic, though at times, they may cause burning sensation in the mouth.

Geographic Tongue
Geographic tongue is a condition where there are irregular patches on the dorsal surface of the tongue. In this condition, the normal papillae which are present on the tongue, which give it its velvety appearance, they shed off. Due to this there are 'bald patches' seen on the surface of the tongue. These tongue patches often have very visible demarcations, which are normally white in color. Although there is no definitive cause that has been found for geographic tongue, it is said that it may be hereditary, or due to vitamin B complex deficiency. Normally, the papillae regrow in the region where they are shed and then shed in another region of the dorsal surface of the tongue. This is the reason why this condition is also known as benign migratory glossitis.

Other Conditions
Other causes include lichen planus. Oral lichen planus is a condition where there are white lines which form a lace like pattern on the tongue or the buccal (inner cheek) mucosa. Although it is not known what is the exact cause of lichen planus, stress and tobacco have been implicated as some of the possible causes. Other sore white tongue causes include severe dehydration, alcohol abuse, incessant smoking, overuse of broad spectrum antibiotics, chronic illnesses, etc.

Treatment for White Tongue
The treatment for this kind of tongue discoloration will depend on the underlying cause. In case of oral candidiasis, the topical application of anit-fungal medication will greatly help in treating the disease. If the person has an ill-fitting prostheses, then he or she will need to get it resized or replaced at the earliest. In case of leukoplakia, it is best that the person stop smoking immediately. There is no need for geographic tongue treatment, although one can go in for symptomatic treatment.

If you do see any kind of discoloration on the surface of the tongue, it is best to visit the dentist and get the condition diagnosed and treated at the earliest.