BELLEVUE DENTIST SAYS CHECK YOUR TONGUE HEALTH

Your tongue is an important organ located in the mouth. It is covered with a mucous membrane and taste buds. It forms the major part of the floor of the mouth between the lower arch of teeth located in the lower jaw or mandible. It is the major organ of taste and it assists in chewing food, swallowing and speech.

Your Bellevue Family Dentist says that the tongue can have a variety of problems associated with it. Common symptoms or irregularities of the tongue that may be problematic can include a wide variety of things. Many of these problems are visible as:
• Lumps, sores or ulcerated areas
• Burning sensation or tender feeling
• General color changes of various types from white to black
• Texture changes that are bumpy, smooth or have grooves
• Hairy or fuzzy appearance
• Itching, scaling or bleeding
• Irregular movement or control problems
• Pain or soreness
• Patches or spots with color changes that can be red or white
• Bumps, patches or spots with texture changes that are smooth, raised or irregular
• Swollen, enlarged or bloated tongue
• Taste problems
• Tremors or twitching occurrences

There are a variety of causes that can lead to problems, disorders and diseases of the tongue. Among these causes are infections, inflammation, allergies, family genetics, metabolic problems, and nutritional deficiencies. Problems of the tongue can be short term or chronic in nature. Since any tongue symptom can be the sign of a serious disease or condition, you should seek prompt medical care regarding your symptoms or condition.

Tongue cancer which is still rare has been found to have doubled in recent years among women younger than 45 years of age. One possible reason may be due smoking habits among these women. Risk factors for oral cancer include smoking, chewing tobacco, alcohol consumption and HPV infections. However, researchers at the University of North Carolina have not observed any link between this large increase in tongue cancer among women and HPV, smoking or drinking. Prognosis for the treatment of tongue cancer is related to the size of the tumor at the time of detection. Prompt treatment is important because the cancer can spread rapidly to nearby areas, such as the mouth, throat, neck, jaws and lymph nodes. Your Bellevue Dentist should check your tongue for any visible areas that look problematic. Between your regular six month visits to see your Seattle Cosmetic Dentist , you should examine your tongue for any unusual symptoms, such as irritated areas of the tongue that do not heal or any sores or bumps that do not go away or that enlarge. If you have any suspicion of cancer, you should get immediate medical care related to your condition. Please remember that the information here is not a substitute for reliable and prompt medical attention, diagnosis and treatment.