Your tongue can be a good indicator about your oral health in general. If you feel any pain, discomfort or if you actually notice some change in the color of your tongue you may actually suffering certain condition and you are not even aware of it. Here are the several most common changes of the tongue.
1 Red tongue
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If your tongue is rosy it is because you have a sore throat. But, a red tongue could be caused by atrophic glossitis (a.k.a. lost taste buds) due to a vitamin deficiency in folic acid, B12 or iron. If that is the case, then your doctor would suggest you taking supplements that contain those particular nutrients. But, another situation for redness of your tongue can be dry mouth. The tongue can feel sensitive and tender. In this cases you can take over-the-counter product for saliva replacement, sipping on water often, and using sugar-free lozenges.
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2 Bumps
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Toward the back of your tongue there are taste buds that are bumpier and larger than the ones that hang out in front, and they're not usually a cause for concern. The bumps sometimes can get bigger, usually when you eat hot food. Other common causes of bumps include canker sores and herpes both of which go away on their own but can be treated to speed healing and ease discomfort. For canker sores, you can use an over-the-counter ointment, avoid spicy and acidic foods, and gargle with baking soda and water. For herpes, a prescription anti-viral pill is needed. If you are scared that you might not notice this, don’t worry - your dentists would notice everything and if something is wrong with your tongue they would inform you.