White coating on the tongue in adults

Contents

Interesting facts about tongue plaque
What does white coating on the tongue mean in adults
Why does a white coating appear on the tongue in adults
Treatment of white plaque on the tongue in adults
Prevention of white plaque on the tongue in adults at home
Popular questions and answers

White coating on the tongue in adults is considered a variant of the norm, but it can also signal health problems. Together with experts, we understand why white plaque appears, how to deal with it at home and in what cases you need to see a doctor

Doctors of oriental medicine often make a preliminary diagnosis by examining the plaque on the patient’s tongue. In Western medicine, this feature is given less attention, but it is recognized that the color and density of plaque change with various diseases. The physiological norm is white plaque, which allows you to see the surface of the tongue and is easily removed during brushing your teeth.

You need to be wary if the plaque is dense, persists throughout the day, is accompanied by bad breath, burning, soreness, or loss of sensitivity of the tongue. In this case, we can talk about inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, diseases of the endocrine system and the gastrointestinal tract.

From a medical point of view, plaque on the tongue is an accumulation of keratinized epithelium cells, microorganisms and their metabolic products. The color of plaque depends on which microflora prevails in the oral cavity. And the composition of these microorganisms is affected by the state of health.

Interesting facts about tongue plaque

Plaque color	Possible reasons
White	Iron deficiency (including after viral diseases), candidiasis, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory processes in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract
Gray and off-white	Gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum
yellow and brown	Diseases of the liver and biliary tract
yellowish white	Infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract, pancreatitis
Dark	Crohn’s disease, severe forms of ulcerative colitis

What does white coating on the tongue mean in adults

First of all, this is a sign that the pH (acid balance) in the oral cavity has shifted to the “acidic” side. Pathogenic microflora actively reproduces in an acidic environment. The shift in pH is caused by various reasons – from the lack of vitamins and trace elements to inflammatory processes in the internal organs.

Why does a white coating appear on the tongue in adults

The reasons for the appearance of white plaque on the tongue can be very diverse, and only a doctor can determine them. Sometimes the problem lies in poor quality oral care and is solved with a good toothbrush, paste, rinse and irrigator. But often white plaque appears against the background of various diseases.

Дефицит железа

Iron deficiency often occurs after a respiratory viral illness, including coronavirus infection. Lack of iron in the body can be observed with an unbalanced diet, digestive and metabolic disorders, as well as internal and external bleeding.

Iron deficiency is indicated by persistent white plaque that cannot be removed with a toothbrush.

Inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity

Inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity include gingivitis, stomatitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis.

In addition to white or yellowish-white plaque on the tongue, the inflammatory process is accompanied by other signs. For example, with stomatitis, whitish sores form in the mouth, surrounded by red, inflamed tissue.¹.

A symptom of candidal stomatitis or thrush is white spots on the oral mucosa, under which there are areas of erosion¹.

In acute tonsillitis or tonsillitis, a dense yellow-white coating forms on the tongue, the temperature rises, the tonsils swell, pain appears when swallowing and talking¹.

Lichen planus

This disease occurs due to disorders in the immune system.². 75% of people with lichen planus have rashes on the oral mucosa, including the tongue². The rash looks like small gray-white nodules that merge with each other and form a “lace” plaque. Over time, the nodules may change color to pink, reddish, and purple.

Acute and chronic gastritis

In acute gastritis, a layer of gray plaque covers the entire surface of the tongue except for the sides and tip.³. In chronic gastritis, plaque is usually white with a gray tint, localized in the back of the tongue, but can be on the entire surface.

If the acidity of the gastric juice is reduced, bright red spots may appear on the tongue.³.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

In this disease, the acidic contents of the stomach are “thrown” back into the esophagus. One of the symptoms of GERD is an abundant white or gray-white coating, combined with a burning sensation on the tongue, a change in taste sensitivity, and dry mouth.³.

Gastric ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer

In people with stomach ulcers, an abundant gray-white coating appears on the tongue, which tightly “sticks” to the mucous membrane³. In case of duodenal ulcer, the tongue becomes covered with a white coating, swells and increases in volume. Teeth marks visible on sides and tip³. During periods of exacerbation, patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers complain of burning, tingling and soreness of the tongue.³.

Acute and chronic enterocolitis

Inflammation of the small and large intestine occurs due to infections, malnutrition, taking certain medications, and against the background of other pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

In people with enterocolitis, the tongue is often covered with a grayish-white coating and swells, which causes discomfort in the mouth. On examination, the doctor may find imprints of teeth on the mucous membrane of the cheeks and tongue.⁴.

Diabetes

A characteristic symptom of diabetes is dry mouth, which develops due to atrophy of the salivary glands.⁵. The mucous membrane of the mouth becomes red and shiny, the tongue becomes covered with a white coating, and its surface looks “rough” and “cracked”⁵.

Treatment of white plaque on the tongue in adults

There is no special treatment for white plaque on the tongue, since this is not a separate disease, but a symptom of various pathologies. If a specific disease has become the cause of white plaque on the tongue, then therapy with medications, diets, and physiotherapy will be needed.

For gastritis and peptic ulcer, fractional nutrition is prescribed, drugs to reduce the acidity of gastric juice and restore the gastrointestinal mucosa, antibiotics to combat the bacterium Helicobacter pylori⁶.
Infectious diseases of the oral cavity are treated with anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antimicrobial agents.
Patients with type 2 diabetes are recommended a diet low in fat and simple carbohydrates, prescribe drugs that lower blood glucose levels and stimulate insulin synthesis⁵.
In gastroesophageal reflux disease, drugs are used that improve gastrointestinal motility and reduce the secretion of gastric juice.
With lichen planus, vitamin therapy, phototherapy, solutions, ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory and healing effects are effective.².

The method of treating white plaque on the tongue is selected by the doctor after examining the patient and making a diagnosis. You should not self-medicate, which in most cases does not work, but only masks the problem.

Prevention of white plaque on the tongue in adults at home

If the cause of white plaque on the tongue is an overgrowth of microflora, you need to take care of oral hygiene. Doctors and dentists advise brushing your teeth at least twice a day and using rinses that contain plant extracts. As a rinse, a Malavit solution is suitable, which has anti-inflammatory, disinfectant and wound-healing effects.

To prevent white plaque on the tongue, you need to stop smoking, eat right, treat diseases of the oral cavity and internal organs in time.