Causes of White Coated Tongue and Bad Breath
Leukoplakia: Leukoplakia is a pre-cancerous lesion which in fact can occur anywhere in the oral cavity, although the tongue and the buccal mucosa are the most commonly affected regions. The white patches on the tongue are thick and are not easily removable. So, they do not disappear on scraping. This way it can be confirmed that they are 'not the patches formed due to oral candidiasis'. Normally such patches are asymptomatic, though sometimes, they may cause burning sensation in the mouth. This is not a common cause. People suffering from AIDS or HIV or those who often chew tobacco are more susceptible to leukoplakia. Let us now take a look at the common causes of white coated tongue.
Oral Candidiasis: Candidiasis or yeast infection is one of the leading white tongue causes. The fungus Candida albicans plays an important role in the formation of a thin film over your tongue. This type of oral infection mostly occurs if you have a weak or compromised immune system. Ill-fitting dentures or prostheses are also responsible for occurrence of such an infection. You will be able to notice white spots on the tongue and/or the palate, due to the infection. These white spots or patches normally look like white velvety flecks and are present uniformly on the dorsal surface of the tongue. These patches are removable and when removed, raw bleeding areas on the tongue can be observed. Generally, white tongue causes bad breath, sometimes it may cause burning sensation.
Oral thrush causes also include, sugar rich diet, a weakened immune system, too much of antibiotics, HIV/AIDS, cancer, smoking, dry mouth, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and side effects of medicines.
Geographic Tongue: In a condition known as 'geographic tongue', irregular patches on the dorsal surface of the tongue are observed. The papillae present on the tongue give it its velvety appearance but if they shed off, geographic tongue can be noticed. 'Bald patches' can be noticed on the surface of the tongue. Such tongue patches usually have prominent demarcations, generally white in color. It is believed that geographic tongue may occur due to vitamin B complex deficiency or it may be hereditary. It has been observed that the papillae regrow in the region of the dorsal surface where they are shed and then shed in another region of the tongue. That is why this condition is also referred to as benign migratory glossitis.
Other Causes: As the question 'what causes white tongue' is lingering in your mind, here are some more causes of white tongue and bad breath. When there are white lines on the tongue, forming a lace like pattern on the tongue or the buccal (inner cheek) mucosa, the condition is called oral lichen planus. The exact cause of lichen planus are not yet known but it is believed that stress and tobacco can cause lichen planus.
Other coated tongue and bad breath causes include severe dehydration, alcohol abuse, indigestion, excessive smoking, overuse of broad spectrum antibiotics, chronic illnesses, etc. The white patches on the tongue may occur due to infections or due to bad habits.
Leukoplakia: Leukoplakia is a pre-cancerous lesion which in fact can occur anywhere in the oral cavity, although the tongue and the buccal mucosa are the most commonly affected regions. The white patches on the tongue are thick and are not easily removable. So, they do not disappear on scraping. This way it can be confirmed that they are 'not the patches formed due to oral candidiasis'. Normally such patches are asymptomatic, though sometimes, they may cause burning sensation in the mouth. This is not a common cause. People suffering from AIDS or HIV or those who often chew tobacco are more susceptible to leukoplakia. Let us now take a look at the common causes of white coated tongue.
Oral Candidiasis: Candidiasis or yeast infection is one of the leading white tongue causes. The fungus Candida albicans plays an important role in the formation of a thin film over your tongue. This type of oral infection mostly occurs if you have a weak or compromised immune system. Ill-fitting dentures or prostheses are also responsible for occurrence of such an infection. You will be able to notice white spots on the tongue and/or the palate, due to the infection. These white spots or patches normally look like white velvety flecks and are present uniformly on the dorsal surface of the tongue. These patches are removable and when removed, raw bleeding areas on the tongue can be observed. Generally, white tongue causes bad breath, sometimes it may cause burning sensation.
Oral thrush causes also include, sugar rich diet, a weakened immune system, too much of antibiotics, HIV/AIDS, cancer, smoking, dry mouth, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and side effects of medicines.
Geographic Tongue: In a condition known as 'geographic tongue', irregular patches on the dorsal surface of the tongue are observed. The papillae present on the tongue give it its velvety appearance but if they shed off, geographic tongue can be noticed. 'Bald patches' can be noticed on the surface of the tongue. Such tongue patches usually have prominent demarcations, generally white in color. It is believed that geographic tongue may occur due to vitamin B complex deficiency or it may be hereditary. It has been observed that the papillae regrow in the region of the dorsal surface where they are shed and then shed in another region of the tongue. That is why this condition is also referred to as benign migratory glossitis.
Other Causes: As the question 'what causes white tongue' is lingering in your mind, here are some more causes of white tongue and bad breath. When there are white lines on the tongue, forming a lace like pattern on the tongue or the buccal (inner cheek) mucosa, the condition is called oral lichen planus. The exact cause of lichen planus are not yet known but it is believed that stress and tobacco can cause lichen planus.
Other coated tongue and bad breath causes include severe dehydration, alcohol abuse, indigestion, excessive smoking, overuse of broad spectrum antibiotics, chronic illnesses, etc. The white patches on the tongue may occur due to infections or due to bad habits.
