5 Things Your Tongue Can Tell You About Your Health

People from ancient times have practiced checking their tongues to know more about their health. If you want to stay healthy, follow their example and find out what your tongue can tell you about your health. Your dentist can check it during professional teeth cleaning in Albuquerque, but you also should keep an eye on your tongue every day. Usually, it has a dark pink color, firm, moist, and is covered in papillae. If you notice that your tongue looks different, pay attention to 5 things that it may try to talk to you about.

Urgent Issues That You Need to Be Aware Of

Taking care of your Hollywood smile with cosmetic dentistry is great, but you should remember that only healthy teeth can guarantee you a beautiful smile. Your tongue can help you identify possible problems and hence solve them as soon as possible.  That’s why tongue and health diagnosis is a popular request in searching engines now. To know about the health problems, you need to stick to the tongue and look at it in the mirror more often. Dr. Philip Gallegos discusses such changes as:

1. Dehydration
2. Immune system alert
3. Changes in the oral microbiome
4. Nutritional deficiencies
5. Exceeding stress

If you notice any of these changes in your tongue, it means you need to see a dentist urgently.Let’s look at each of them in detail. 

Dehydration

You will feel discomfort with a dry mouth and tongue when your body is dehydrated. It means you do not have enough fluid for your organism to function properly. As a result, the amount of saliva is decreased, leading to disability to break consumed food down. Keeping teeth healthy will also be more challenging. The urgent solution is to start drinking more water during the day, to have a proper balance, and feel well.

Immune system alert

Lots of body parts play a significant role in preserving your immune health. The tongue is vital for digestion and can tell you not very good news. For instance, if your immune system is not alright, you can understand that urgent lifestyle changes to improve your dental health are required. As a rule, the immune system prevents anything from remaining on your tongue.  Thanks to a defense system, nothing can remain in the mouth or a tongue. That’s why, if your tongue is white, you can take it as an indicator of some oral microbiome problems. Immune-helping habits will be a good idea in such a situation. Also, if you notice a red color on your tongue, and you didn’t eat any red food, then approach your family dentist at once.

Changes in the oral microbiome

A person’s mouth is full of microbes and bacteria, as well as a tongue. All of them are forming the oral microbiome that acts as a crucial part of every healthy mouth. If you want to know what condition it is in, you just need to look at your tongue. If everything is well, then your tongue will have the usual form and color; but in case you see a white coating, then take this as a crucial signal. It would help if you were more attentive to your oral hygiene, which includes not only regular teeth cleaning but flossing and other daily things.

Nutritional deficiencies

The tongue helps people taste, digest, and enjoy food. But if your diet is not well-balanced, your tongue will tell you about it. Consider adjusting the diet if the tongue is red. Mind the intake of useful vitamins and minerals. Iron, folic acid, and B12 play a unique role in keeping your health in good condition. Add spinach, broccoli, organ meats, and nuts to your usual ration.

Exceeding stress

Stress affects all body parts, and the tongue is not an exception as well. If you notice that it is scalloped around the edges, then it means you are biting your tongue when you feel nervous. Also, the researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center state that taste buds are affected by stress. Please practice some self-care techniques to stay calm and avoid stress. Your entire body will surely benefit from this.

The Final Thoughts

The tongue is not only one more muscular organ in your mouth. Now you know how important is the state of your tongue and what it says about your health. That’s why you need to:

• See a family dentist in Albuquerque regularly
• Check the tongue constantly
• Mind your oral hygiene habits

If you experience some discomfort or notice that your tongue is different from usual color, then schedule an appointment at a family dentist in Albuquerque, and let the specialist give you the necessary recommendations.