{"id":373,"date":"2019-11-22T21:43:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T21:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/?p=373"},"modified":"2019-12-22T21:46:35","modified_gmt":"2019-12-22T21:46:35","slug":"is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Tongue Connected to Your Oral Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/tongue-2-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"woman\u2019s tongue\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/tongue-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/tongue-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/tongue-2.jpg 558w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Did you know your teeth and gums aren\u2019t the only indicators of your current oral health? Your tongue can also shed light on potential issues that might be brewing in your mouth. Your family dentist in Waterbury pays careful attention to your tongue during routine examinations to look for anything concerning. With quick detection, your dentist will restore your dental health for a beautiful smile.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oral Health and Your Tongue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You may not think much about your tongue until you bite it\nwhile chewing, but it is influential in your daily life. Without it, speaking\nand eating as you know it would be nearly impossible. To ensure it stays\nhealthy for a lifetime, it\u2019s important to monitor it for certain, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">White Coating or Spots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A white coating or white spots on your tongue may not appear\nalarming at first, but they are red flags for potentially serious issues, including:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Leukoplakia:<\/strong> Results from an abnormal\ngrowth of cells in the mouth.<\/li><li><strong>Oral Thrush:<\/strong> A yeast infection that looks\nlike cottage cheese. It\u2019s common in denture wearers, infants, and people who\nhave diabetes.<\/li><li><strong>Oral Lichen Planus:<\/strong> Raised, lace-like\nlines that usually subside on their own. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Red Tongue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Believe it or not, there is such a thing as your tongue being too red. A healthy tongue is pink and covered in small nodules. If it\u2019s darker than it should be, it can be a symptom of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Vitamin Deficiency:<\/strong> Low folic acid or\nvitamin B-12 can make your tongue darken. <\/li><li><strong>Geographic Tongue:<\/strong> A map-like pattern of reddish\nspots develop on the tongue, which can shift over time, but they are generally\nharmless. <\/li><li><strong>Scarlet Fever:<\/strong> The infection can make the\ntongue red and bumpy as you experience a high fever. You\u2019ll need antibiotics to\ntreat it. <\/li><li><strong>Kawasaki Disease:<\/strong> This serious condition\noccurs in children under 5 and requires immediate medical care.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black and Hairy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your tongue has tiny papillae that continue to grow\nthroughout your life. If bacteria aren\u2019t removed from the tongue, it can make them\nlook black and hairy. Most often, it isn\u2019t serious, and it can be treated quickly\nby improving your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/general-family-dentistry.html\">dental\nhygiene<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sores or Bumps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s normal for an accident or trauma to cause a sore or\nbump on your tongue; however, if there isn\u2019t any cause for painful lumps, there\ncould be an underlying cause, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Irritation from smoking.<\/li><li>Canker sores.<\/li><li>Oral cancer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep Your Tongue Healthy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as your teeth and gums need daily care, so does your\ntongue. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean your tongue in a circular\nmotion when you brush your teeth. If you notice a change to it, don\u2019t wait to\nsee your dentist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Waterbury Smiles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/meet-the-dentists.html\">Dr. Marini and\nDr. Mancini<\/a> focus on your oral health as a whole. They do more than just care\nfor your teeth and gums. They also monitor your tongue to detect any concerning\nareas sooner. If something doesn\u2019t seem right with your tongue, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/contact-us.html\">contact our office today<\/a>\nfor an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know your teeth and gums aren\u2019t the only indicators of your current oral health? Your tongue can also shed light on potential issues that might be brewing in your mouth. Your family dentist in Waterbury pays careful attention to your tongue during routine examinations to look for anything concerning. With quick detection, your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Your Family Dentist in Waterbury for a Healthy Smile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your tongue can indicate oral health issues. Your family dentist in Waterbury monitors your tongue for any change to keep your smile healthy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Your Family Dentist in Waterbury for a Healthy Smile\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Your tongue can indicate oral health issues. Your family dentist in Waterbury monitors your tongue for any change to keep your smile healthy.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Waterbury Smiles Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-22T21:43:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-22T21:46:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/tongue-2-300x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drmarini\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drmarini\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health\/\",\"name\":\"Your Family Dentist in Waterbury for a Healthy Smile\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/is-your-tongue-connected-to-your-oral-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/tongue-2-300x300.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-22T21:43:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-12-22T21:46:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b287573e50720eac1bd63949dd3cca19\"},\"description\":\"Your tongue can indicate oral health issues. 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