Why is it important to stay hydrated for a healthy tongue?

Drinking plenty of water can help prevent bad breath and keep your tongue hydrated, which can contribute to overall oral health.

How can drinking water help limit the number of bacteria in the mouth?

Drinking water can help wash away food particles and limit the number of bacteria in the mouth, as a surplus of bacteria is often formed from leftover food particles left in the mouth.

How often should you drink water to wash away food particles?

It's recommended to drink water regularly and after each meal to effectively wash away all the food particles in the mouth.

How can limiting sugar and salt consumption benefit the tongue?

Limiting sugar and salt consumption can allow taste buds to better differentiate between different flavors in foods. This can help prevent taste buds from becoming accustomed to overly sweet or salty flavors, which can make healthier foods seem bland by comparison.

Can eating spicy foods damage your taste buds?

Eating spicy foods does not typically damage taste buds, regardless of how often you eat them. However, it can be more difficult to switch to eating healthy vegetables like plain broccoli, kale, or spinach, as they may not be as flavorful as spicy foods or other strongly flavored foods.

How can obesity affect taste buds?

Obesity has been shown to weaken and lower the number of taste buds in the mouth, according to studies by Kaufman et al. (2018) and Rohde et al. (2020).

Why is it important to avoid or reduce alcohol intake for tongue health?

Alcohol consumption has been linked to leukoplakia, which is a condition that can cause white patches to form on the tongue. To avoid this condition and promote tongue health, it is recommended to avoid or reduce alcohol intake.

What type of diet is associated with a lower risk of oral cancer?

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to be inversely correlated with oral cancer risk, according to a study by Scardina and Messina (2012). On the other hand, a diet rich in animal fats and of animal origin is positively correlated with oral cancer risk.

How can drinking matcha benefit tongue health?

Matcha contains green tea polyphenols, which have been shown to help reduce mouth bacteria, according to a study by Morin et al. (2015). This can help promote overall tongue health and reduce the risk of conditions like bad breath.

What are green tea polyphenols?

Green tea polyphenols are a type of antioxidant found in green tea and other tea varieties. They have been shown to have a range of potential health benefits, including reducing inflammation, improving cardiovascular health, and promoting oral health.

How often should you drink matcha to promote tongue health?

There is no specific recommendation for how often to drink matcha for tongue health benefits. However, incorporating matcha into your regular diet as a beverage or as an ingredient in recipes can help provide a source of green tea polyphenols that may help promote overall oral health.

What is xylitol gum and how can it benefit tongue health?

Xylitol gum is a type of dental gum that contains the sugar substitute xylitol. Chewing xylitol gum can help reduce mouth bacteria and promote saliva production, which can help wash away bacteria and food particles from the tongue and promote overall oral health.

How much xylitol gum should you chew to see benefits?

According to a study by Wu et al. (2022), chewing 10 pieces of xylitol gum per day (6.2g of xylitol per day) for two weeks resulted in a 20% reduction in dental plaque, as well as a decrease in several types of bacteria associated with tooth decay and periodontitis. However, it's important to note that individual results may vary, and it's always a good idea to talk to your dentist or healthcare provider before starting any new oral health regimen.

What are the potential side effects of chewing xylitol gum?

Xylitol is generally considered safe, but some people may experience digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, or diarrhea when consuming large amounts of xylitol. It's also important to note that xylitol is toxic to dogs, so it's important to keep xylitol-containing products out of reach of pets.

Can chewing xylitol gum replace other oral hygiene practices like brushing and flossing?

Chewing xylitol gum can be a useful addition to a regular oral hygiene routine, but it should not be used as a replacement for brushing and flossing. Brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and regular dental check-ups are still important for maintaining good oral health.

What are Roma tomatoes, and how can they benefit tongue health?

Roma tomatoes are a type of plum tomato that is commonly used in Italian cuisine. They contain a compound called lycopene, which has been shown to have protective effects against tongue carcinogenesis. Specifically, lycopene may help protect against 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide-induced tongue cancer.

Oral thrush is an infection of fungus in the mouth that is most visible on the tongue and inner cheeks as white lesions.

Who is at risk for developing oral thrush?

People who use steroid sprays for asthma are more likely to develop oral thrush.

Can unsweetened yoghurt help with thrush?

Yes, unsweetened yoghurt may help with thrush.

What nutrients deficiencies are correlated with oral thrush?

Deficiency in beta carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B9, C, K, zinc, and carbohydrates are correlated with oral thrush.

How can you prevent white coat on your tongue?

Gently brushing your tongue after brushing your teeth can help prevent white coat on your tongue.

What is a tongue scraper?

A tongue scraper is a tool designed to remove bacteria, food debris, and dead cells from the surface of the tongue.

Can using a tongue scraper alone provide good oral health?

No, using a tongue scraper can help reduce bacteria but won’t inhibit dental plaque formation. It should be used in combination with toothbrushing for good oral health according to a study by Matsui et al. in 2014.

Is using a tongue scraper safe?

Yes, using a tongue scraper is generally safe. However, it's important to use it gently to avoid damaging the sensitive tissues on your tongue.

Why is it important to look out for changes in the colour of your tongue?

It is important to look out for changes in the colour of your tongue because the normal colour of the tongue is pink, and any changes in colour may indicate an underlying health problem.

How can smoking affect your tongue?

Smoking can affect your tongue by increasing the risk of oral cancer, causing bad breath, staining teeth and tongue, and reducing the sense of taste and smell.

Why is it important to breathe from your nose instead of your mouth?

Breathing from your nose instead of your mouth is important to prevent an increase in plaque levels over time and to reduce the risk of developing the bacteria S. mutans which contributes to tooth decay.

Can using a tongue scraper alone improve oral health?

Using a tongue scraper alone is not enough to improve oral health as it won’t inhibit dental plaque formation. It should be used in combination with toothbrushing for good oral health.

What You Need to Know About Dehydration and White Tongue

Updated on February 8, 2023

Hydrate | Diet | Brush | Protect | Action

Evidence-based. Credit goes to all researchers

I include products after thorough research, based on science, other people’s reviews and my experience. If you buy products through the links from this post, I may earn a small commission, cheers 🙂

The reason our tongue turns white and causes bad breath is due to the accumulation of bacteria. To protect your sense of taste and prevent a white tongue and bad breath you need to hydrate, have a good diet, chew dental gum and brush and scrape twice daily.

Hydrating to Keep Your Tongue Pink and Healthy 💦

Drink plenty of water to prevent bad breath and keep your tongue hydrated.

A study was done on 50 participants, divided into 2 equal groups. Group A rinsed with 15ml of water for 30 secs, while group B drank 200ml of water within 30 secs.

Results showed that both groups had a significant reduction in volatile sulphur compounds. Both groups had a 30 – 50% reduction in hydrogen sulphide (H2 S) and a 60% reduction in methyl mercaptan (CH3 SH). This suggests that either drinking water or rising with water can have a good effect in washing away bacteria and reducing bad breath (Van der Sluijs et al., 2015).

It can also help wash away food particles and so limit the number of bacteria, as a surplus of bacteria is formed from leftover food particles left in our mouth.

Drink water regularly and after each meal to wash away all the food particles.

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Keynote

Drink water right after waking up and after each meal to reduce bad breath. Drink 2-3 litres of water a day to prevent a dry tongue and wash away food particles.

Eating for a Healthy Tongue 🍎

Don’t let your taste buds get accustomed to very sugary and salty foods as then regular healthy food will seem very boring and bland to eat.

By limiting your sugar and salt consumption, you will be able to taste the differences in many foods instead of always bombarding your taste buds.

Eating spicy foods won’t damage your taste buds, no matter how often you eat them, but switching to eating healthy vegetables like plain broccoli, kale or spinach might be harder to do.

Let your taste buds be accustomed to different flavours such as cheese, onion and garlic.

Obesity can weaken and lower the number of taste buds (Kaufman et al., 2018; Rohde et al., 2020)

Avoid or reduce your alcohol intake to avoid leukoplakia (white tongue) (Petti & Scully, 2006).

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables is inversely correlated to oral cancer risk, while a diet rich in animal fats and of animal origin is positively correlated (Scardina & Messina, 2012).

Nutrients	Sources
Beta carotene	Kale, Carrots, Spinach, Mango, Watermelon, Salmon, Butter, Cheddar
Carbs	Oats, Quinoa, Manuka Honey
Green tea polyphenols	Matcha (Green tea)
Iron	Spinach, Pumpkin seeds, Quinoa, Brocolli, Cacao powder, Tuna
Lycopene	Roma tomatoes
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	Nuts, Oranges, Potatoes, Asparagus, Kale, Eggs
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Egg yolks, Salmon, Tuna, Almonds, Chicken breast, Spinach, Cheese, Milk, Plain Yogurt
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	Chicken breast, Tuna, Salmon, Peanuts, Green Peas, Potatoes
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)	Milk, Ricotta cheese, Salmon, Tuna, Eggs, Carrots, Spinach, Green Peas, Bananas, Avocados
Vitamin B9 (Folate)	Spinach, Brocolli, Eggs, Beets, Almonds, Walnuts, Bananas
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)	Tuna, Salmon, Milk, Cheese, Plain yoghurt, Eggs yolks
Vitamin C	Kale, Brocolli, Strawberries, Blackcurrent, Kiwi, Lemons, Oranges
Vitamin E	Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Mango, Kiwi, Blackberries, Black Currents, Raspberries, Spinach, Brocolli
Vitamin K	Kale, Spinach, Brocolli
Zinc	Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Shrimp

Drink matcha

Green tea polyphenols can help reduce mouth bacteria (Morin et al., 2015).

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Chew Xylitol gum

Chewing dental gum containing xylitol can reduce mouth bacteria and also help produce saliva which can further wash away bacteria and food particles.

A study was done on 24 adults who chewed 10 pieces of xylitol chewing gum a day (6.2g of xylitol/ day). After 2 weeks results showed a 20% reduction in dental plaque. Bacteria associated with caries (tooth decay/cavities) decreased by 10.26% and two other types of bacteria associated with periodontitis decreased by 6.32% and 1.66% (Wu et al., 2022).

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Eat Roma tomatoes

Lycopene can help exert protective effects against 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide-induced tongue carcinogenesis (Scardina & Messina, 2012).

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Oral candidiasis (Oral thrush)

Oral thrush is an infection of fungus in the mouth and is most visible on the tongue and inner cheeks as white lesions. It is usually common in people who use steroid sprays for asthma.

Unsweetened yoghurt may help with thrush.

There is a correlation between oral thrush and deficiency in beta carotene, (vitamins B1, B2, B9, C, K), zinc and carbohydrates (Scardina & Messina, 2012).

Keynote

Avoid alcohol and sugary and salty foods. Have a healthy diet and focus on beta carotene, carbs, green tea polyphenols, iron, lycopene, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, C, E, K and zinc. Drinking matcha can help reduce mouth bacteria and chewing (xylitol) dental gum after each meal can remove mouth bacteria and increase saliva to wash away bacteria.

Cleaning Your Tongue to Prevent White Coat 🪥

Gently brushing your tongue after brushing your teeth is just as effective at removing odour-causing mouth bacteria as a tongue scraper (Winnier et al., 2013).

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Scraping your tongue can further remove any mouth bacteria that brushing your tongue may have dislodged.

Using a tongue scraper can help reduce bacteria but won’t inhibit dental plaque formation. Thus it should be used in combination with toothbrushing for good oral health (Matsui et al., 2014).

Copper Tongue Scraper

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Keynote

Brushing and scraping your tongue twice daily can improve your sense of taste by protecting your taste buds, removing any white coating keeping your tongue pink, preventing tooth decay, and gum disease and removing odour-causing mouth bacteria.

Protecting Your Sense of Taste and Your Tongue 😛

Look out for any changes in your tongue’s colour, its colour should be pink.

Temperature burns

You may burn your tongue by drinking hot coffee, matcha or water. To avoid burns, wait 1- 2 minutes before taking a small sip.

Try drinking cold water if you have always been drinking warm or hot water as it can help you burn a small number of calories.

Avoid Smoking

Avoid all forms of smoking.

Mouth breathing

Don’t mouth breathe, breathe from your nose at all times. Mouth breathing can cause an increase in plaque levels over time and you may be 4 times more likely to develop the bacteria S. mutans which contributes to tooth decay (Mummolo et al., 2018).

Keynote

Don’t mouth breathe, as doing so will dry your mouth and increase plaque and bacteria levels. Avoid smoking and be careful with hot drinks.

Action to take ✍️

Drink water right after waking up and after each meal.
Drink 2-3 litres of water a day.
Avoid alcohol and very sugary and salty foods.
Have a healthy diet and focus on beta carotene, carbs, green tea polyphenols, iron, lycopene, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, C, E, K and zinc.
Drink matcha.
Chew (xylitol) dental gum after each meal.
Brush and scrape your tongue twice daily.
Wait 1- 2 minutes before taking a small sip of any hot drinks.
Try drinking cold water
Avoid all forms of smoking.
Don’t mouth breathe, breathe from your nose at all times.
Look out for any changes in your tongue’s colour, its colour should be pink.
Try different flavours such as cheese, onion and garlic.

References

Kaufman, A., Choo, E., Koh, A., & Dando, R. (2018). Inflammation arising from obesity reduces taste bud abundance and inhibits renewal. PLOS Biology, 16(3), e2001959. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2001959

Matsui, M., Chosa, N., Shimoyama, Y., Minami, K., Kimura, S., & Kishi, M. (2014). Effects of tongue cleaning on bacterial flora in tongue coating and dental plaque: a crossover study. BMC Oral Health, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6831-14-4

Morin, M. P., Bedran, T. B. L., Fournier-Larente, J., Haas, B., Azelmat, J., & Grenier, D. (2015). Green tea extract and its major constituent epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibit growth and halitosis-related properties of Solobacterium moorei. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-015-0557-z

Mummolo, S., Nota, A., Caruso, S., Quinzi, V., Marchetti, E., & Marzo, G. (2018). Salivary Markers and Microbial Flora in Mouth Breathing Late Adolescents. BioMed Research International, 2018, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8687608

Petti, S., & Scully, C. (2006). Association between different alcoholic beverages and leukoplakia among non- to moderate-drinking adults: A matched case–control study. European Journal of Cancer, 42(4), 521–527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2005.07.038

Rohde, K., Schamarek, I., & Blüher, M. (2020). Consequences of Obesity on the Sense of Taste: Taste Buds as Treatment Targets? Diabetes &Amp; Metabolism Journal, 44(4), 509. https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2020.0058

Scardina, G. A., & Messina, P. (2012). Good Oral Health and Diet. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2012, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/720692

Van der Sluijs, E., Slot, D., Bakker, E., & Van der Weijden, G. (2015). The effect of water on morning bad breath: a randomized clinical trial. International Journal of Dental Hygiene, 14(2), 124–134. https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12149

Winnier, J. J., Rupesh, S., Anand Nayak, U., Reddy, V., & Prasad Rao, A. (2013). The Comparative Evaluation of the Effects of Tongue Cleaning on Existing Plaque Levels in Children. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 188–192. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1216

Wu, Y. F., Salamanca, E., Chen, I. W., Su, J. N., Chen, Y. C., Wang, S. Y., Sun, Y. S., Teng, N. C., & Chang, W. J. (2022). Xylitol-Containing Chewing Gum Reduces Cariogenic and Periodontopathic Bacteria in Dental Plaque—Microbiome Investigation. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.882636

Feel free to share this post if you found it helpful!

Hydrating to Keep Your Tongue Pink and Healthy 💦

Eating for a Healthy Tongue 🍎

Drink matcha

Chew Xylitol gum

Eat Roma tomatoes

Oral candidiasis (Oral thrush)

Cleaning Your Tongue to Prevent White Coat 🪥

Protecting Your Sense of Taste and Your Tongue 😛

Temperature burns

Avoid Smoking

Mouth breathing

Action to take ✍️

References

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