What does your tongue say about your health?

Table of contents


• - The healthy tongue
• - What does a normal tongue look like?
• Healthy colour of your tongue
• Healthy structure of the tongue
• Papules
• Smooth tongue
• Landcard tongue
• Hairy tongue
• Tongue deposits
• Normal size of the tongue
• Healthy underside of the tongue
• - This is how to keep your tongue healthy

Is your tongue healthy? The tongue is a curious part of the human body. It allows you to distinguish between different tastes. It is also indispensable for forming sounds. So without tongue, no taste and speech! But did you know that there is also a relationship between your tongue and your health?

The healthy tongue

A lot of people don’t think about it, but the health of your tongue is very important indeed. In fact, your tongue says a lot about the general health of your mouth. It is therefore a good idea to study your tongue from time to time. That way, you can monitor whether it still looks healthy.

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What does a normal tongue look like?

Every tongue is unique. You can take this quite literally, as scientists assume that everyone has a unique tongue print! Nevertheless, it is relatively easy to distinguish a healthy tongue from an unhealthy tongue. This is done based on the colour, size and structure of the tongue.

Healthy colour of your tongue

It may seem trivial, but your tongue colour can tell you a lot. A normal tongue has a light pink to light red colour. However, if your tongue is on the yellow side, it might indicate jaundice. In turn, a bright red tongue could be a sign of vitamin B deficiency, celiac disease or anaemia.

Healthy structure of the tongue

Papules

There are little bumps on the healthy tongue: these are the taste buds. If your tongue feels rough, it may be slightly irritated by certain foods.

Smooth tongue

An excessively smooth, pale tongue may be caused by an iron deficiency or anaemia. You may also suffer from a landcard tongue.

Landcard tongue

With a card tongue, smooth, red spots can be seen on the tongue. These are caused by the tongue being slightly inflamed. The taste buds are missing in these places. It is a harmless condition that often goes away on its own.

Hairy tongue

With a hairy tongue, it feels like there are hairs on the tongue. These hairs are actually enlarged taste buds. The condition is accompanied by discolouration of the tongue and is usually caused by poor oral hygiene.

Tongue deposits

Some people suffer from hair tongue. In this condition, there is a coloured mash on the tongue. This mash can be yellow, white or black in colour. A white or yellow tongue is often caused by bacteria, while a black tongue is more likely to be caused by coffee or tobacco.

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Normal size of the tongue

A healthy tongue cannot be felt in the mouth. Nevertheless, the tongue may (temporarily) be slightly larger than normal. This is the case, for example, if you have bitten your tongue, or burned it.

Healthy underside of the tongue

A normal tongue naturally also has a healthy underside. In a normal, healthy tongue, there are two veins at the bottom. These veins should not look purple or be swollen.

This is how to keep your tongue healthy

To keep your tongue healthy, it is important to take good care of it. Use a tongue scraper regularly, brush your tongue with it and rinse your mouth occasionally with mouthwash.

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Written by

Kim Schouten

In recent years, she has worked in various areas to improve oral health care for both young and old. Oral care is an essential part of daily care. This is because good oral care is not only important for the mouth, but also for overall health. Therefore, it is very important to create awareness and share knowledge about this.