A normal tongue appears pink because it is covered with little pinkish white bumps. These bumps help us to taste sweet, sour, bitter, and salty foods. Our tongue is also important for chewing and swallowing food. Lastly, our tongue helps us to form words and communicate properly.
If a person has a fissured tongue, there are noticeable differences as compared to a normal tongue. A fissured tongue can be identified by grooves on the top part of the tongue. Sometimes a groove is so deep that it looks as if the tongue were split in half lengthwise. There may be other small furrows too, or only small grooves, or there may be a combination of large and small furrows or grooves on the top of the tongue.
At present, it is not known why this condition may occur, although sometimes a fissured tongue occurs concurrently with another syndrome or condition. It may be a genetic condition. There is good news though, it is generally painless. A problem may happen when food debris seeps into the furrows on the tongue and causes irritation, but usually this is not a severe issue.
Treatment of a Fissured Tongue
Generally, a fissured tongue does not require treatment. Instead, some precautions are important if you have a fissured tongue. First, brush the top surface of the tongue so food debris does not accumulate in the fissure. You want to keep bacteria and plaque out of these grooves on the tongue. Doing so will help you to thwart bad breath and help tooth decay to slow down as well.
Schedule Your Routine Cleaning and Exam
It is important to maintain a good rhythm of visiting our office twice a year, especially if you have a fissured tongue. We look forward to assessing your total oral hygiene at your next appointment.
Dental Blog | Sunnyside Dentistry | Clackamas, OR dentist Dick Hikade, DDS at Sunnyside Dentistry has created this informative blog to help educate the community about dental concerns. Sunnyside Dentistry, 14210 SE Sunnyside Rd, Suite 200, Clackamas, OR 97015 / (503) 451-5104 / sunnysidedentistry.com / 10/11/2024 / Page Phrases: dentist Clackamas OR /
A normal tongue appears pink because it is covered with little pinkish white bumps. These bumps help us to taste sweet, sour, bitter, and salty foods. Our tongue is also important for chewing and swallowing food. Lastly, our tongue helps us to form words and communicate properly.