Tupelo Dentist- Dr. Richard Caron's "Your Dental Health" -Geographic Tongue

Speaker 1: Your dental health brought to you by Tupelo Smiles, Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

Richard Caron: Geographic tongue is an inflammatory condition of the tongue affecting approximately 2% of the population. It is characterized by discolored regions of taste buds and sometimes even cracks in the tongue. The condition manifest after eating any of a range of foods during times of stress, illness, or hormonal changes in women. In a tongue affected by this disorder, red patches on the surface of the tongue are bordered by grayish white. The small patches may disappear and reappear in a short period of time and change in shape and size. It is not common for the condition to cause pain, though it may cause a burning or stinging sensation, especially after contact with certain foods. Foods that sometimes cause irritation include tomato, eggplant, walnuts, sharp cheeses, spicy foods, sour food, mint, candy, and citrus. Geographic tongue may also cause numbness. Chemicals like mouthwashes or teeth whiteners can also aggravate the condition. If you think you might have geographic tongue, consult your dentist. For your dental health. I'm Dr. Richard Caron.

Speaker 1: For more information on this topic, or to make an appointment, call Tupelo Smiles at (662) 840-1535.