Black plaque on teeth (in adults and children): how to remove

Plaque on the teeth and tongue has long been perceived by us as something natural and harmless. What about the black shade? Do you worry when your tongue turns black? No, if this is the result of a delicious snack of blackberries or blueberries, then it goes without saying - natural dyes give a dark tint not only to the tongue, but sometimes to the teeth. What does a black coating on the tongue for no apparent reason tell us? Perhaps this is a sign of a serious disease of the oral cavity or the whole body?

In fact, a black tongue is a reason to think about it and seek advice from a doctor. There are many reasons for this phenomenon, but they all have one thing in common - problems with the functioning of internal organs.

Varieties of black coating on the tongue

Until recently, the discovery of a black coating on the tongue was perceived as infection with cholera. This disease is a thing of the past, but the symptom appears in people with enviable regularity. The causes of this phenomenon are varied, as are the symptoms.

Black plaque may appear on the following parts of the tongue:

• tip;
• root;
• On the sides;
• on the middle part (in the middle).

The plaque can be uniform, equally colored over the entire area of ​​the organ, or appears in the form of “ripples”, giving the tongue a spotty appearance. one or two dark spots on it

, located in certain places. Experts also diagnose a general darkening of the organ, when its entire mass becomes gray, as if dirty in appearance.

Often, a dark coating on the tongue is combined with other signs of an existing disease, including heartburn, bitter taste in the mouth, ulcers and ulcers and many other symptoms.

In adults and children, the tongue may develop black spots - specks

, randomly distributed over the entire surface of the mucous membrane. These small black dots can signal fungal and other pathologies of the body and are often accompanied by damage to the gums or the entire oral cavity.

If bitterness in the mouth is detected after eating a certain food (fatty, smoked), this situation is natural and not critical. But a constantly occurring unpleasant sensation in the mouth indicates the presence of pathology in the body and cannot be ignored. Read more in the article: “bitterness in the mouth, symptoms of what disease.”

Dangerous symptoms and which doctor to contact

When black spots on a person’s tongue do not go away within two to three days, increase in size, new spots appear, and the temperature rises, you should go to the doctor.

The first thing you need to do is visit the dentist. If this nature of the problem is excluded, then the doctor will refer the sick person to the therapist’s office. You may need help from a specialist in gastroenterology or oncology.

The main method of diagnosing the disease is bacteriological culture of plaque to determine the type of pathogenic microflora in the mouth, donating blood for analysis. If there is a suspicion of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, a coprogram and ultrasound examination of the organs will be used.

Banal reasons for plaque on the tongue

Before you worry and look for the reasons for the appearance of a black tongue, the symptoms of which disease are present, you should carefully examine the oral cavity. You should also remember whether you used coloring products, such as:

• blueberry;
• red wine;
• mulberry;
• food with dark dyes;
• lollipops, etc.

Black tongue is often observed after taking activated carbon tablets.

, and in this case there is definitely no need to panic. You should perform high-quality oral hygiene, and you can forget about the problem.

Among the simple and common, but more serious causes of organ darkening, alcohol abuse

. They not only stain the tongue, but also provide the body with chronic intoxication, disrupting metabolism and slowing down the rate of elimination of toxins.

Gray plaque with black streaks may be the result of poor oral hygiene, in which case the symptom is accompanied by an unpleasant odor. Another popular reason why there is a black coating on the tongue is the active proliferation of mold fungi

after taking antibiotics. When local immunity is weakened, these microorganisms colonize the mucous membrane and give it a dark tint.

Very often the intestines hurt in the lower abdomen, what should I do? This question is asked by many people who do not know the cause of this disease. These can be symptoms of various types of diseases that affect all parts of the intestine (large, thin, sigmoid, etc. Read more in the article: “pain in the intestines in the lower abdomen.”

Gastrointestinal diseases and black tongue

Blackening of the mucous membrane of the tongue in children is almost always associated with pathologies of the digestive system. In adults, the incidence of such problems in the presence of black plaque is lower

, and yet
gastrointestinal
occupy a leading position.
The symptom is more common in people who abuse fast food, baked goods, carbohydrate foods
, food with an abundance of preservatives, dyes, and other harmful additives. Such a “diet” leads to metabolic disorders, and the tongue serves as an indicator of general ill-being.

In Crohn's disease, the tongue turns black

, since an increase in melanin production occurs in the body due to suppression of the adrenal glands. Diseases of the gallbladder, stomach, and duodenum also cause changes in the oral cavity, and only their treatment will help get rid of the scourge.

Signs of the main pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by the appearance of a dark coating on the tongue, are shown in the table.

How to get rid of the problem

Treatment tactics depend on the factor that caused this condition. For example, Crohn's disease is treated comprehensively. The patient is prescribed hormonal therapy to balance hormonal levels, antibacterial drugs to treat inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, and drugs that enhance immunity.

Important! If a dark coating is detected on the tongue, there is no need to self-medicate, because this pathology can be a symptom of a serious illness. Local treatment will not help, but will only worsen the situation. Therefore, when plaque appears on the mucous membrane, you should immediately contact a dentist or therapist so that they can prescribe a primary diagnosis and refer the patient to a specialist to establish a diagnosis.

Fungal infections are treated with antifungal drugs (local or general action).

Diseases of the digestive organs that cause a dark coating on the tongue are treated in accordance with the diagnosis; the tactics are chosen by a gastroenterologist. Often, along with drug therapy, a diet is prescribed or the diet is adjusted.

If the cause is chemical poisoning or intoxication, then the source of the toxins is determined (lead poisoning can be caused by fillings with a high content of this metal), detoxification measures and elimination of side effects are prescribed.

If no diseases were found during the examination, then it is generally accepted that dark plaque is a consequence of a malfunction in metabolism, and this problem is solved by adjusting the diet and drinking plenty of water (at least 2 liters of water per day for an adult).

If the cause of plaque formation lies in improper or insufficient oral hygiene, then the patient is advised to clean the tongue with a special soft brush with light movements, from the root of the tongue to its tip. In particularly advanced cases, dentists advise wiping the mucous membrane with a 5% solution of resorcinol or salicylic alcohol.

Inflammatory pathologies of the oral cavity

Pharyngitis or chronic tonsillitis

in the acute stage, they can also lead to the appearance of a black “sediment” on the tongue. Its distinctive feature is its presence after waking up and its almost complete disappearance after eating or hygienic cleaning.

Sometimes a black coating appears on the tonsils and tongue in combination with an increase in body temperature. Such symptoms are characteristic of tonsillitis (acute tonsillitis). Sore throat does not occur without a sore throat, so making a diagnosis in such a situation is quite simple. When the disease passes, the unpleasant manifestations of the tongue will also disappear.

Sometimes black spots form after suffering from the flu - this is how glossitis, or inflammation of the tongue, occurs.

Oddly enough, sometimes a black tongue means the development of oral candidiasis, or thrush

. Typically, this pathology manifests itself as white cheesy masses localized in the mouth, but advanced stages cause darkening of the plaque. The disease is accompanied by bad breath, burning, tingling, and tissue swelling.

Other causes of black plaque

The appearance of this symptom cannot be ignored - it often means big health problems. For example, the body may suffer from acidosis - a buildup of toxins and a shift in the acid-base balance towards oxidation. This condition can be caused by long-term infections, intestinal disorders, and starvation diets.

Other possible causes of the pathology are as follows:

1. Lead poisoning
   . Acute lead intoxication almost always manifests itself as changes in the oral cavity.
2. Inflammatory and chronic diseases of the lungs and bronchi
   . Some bacteria cause the tongue to turn a frightening shade; after recovery, the color returns to normal.
3. Taking certain hormonal medications
   . Canceling medications helps the unpleasant color of the mucous membrane disappear.
4. HIV and other severe types of immunodeficiency
   . With such pathologies, there is sometimes a black-gray plaque in the mouth.
5. Dehydration
   . With an acute form of lack of fluid in the body, the tongue may change color to dark.

Infants sometimes develop a dark coating after the introduction of the first complementary foods, if until that moment the baby was fed only breast milk - as a reaction to a new product. There is also a separate pathology - “black hairy tongue”, in which papillary outgrowths grow on the organ, become dark and hard. The exact reasons are not clear, but the disease most often appears in smokers.

Diagnosis of pathology

Dark plaque is not a specific disease, but a symptom, so it is important to see a doctor to find the cause. It’s better to start by going to a therapist, who will prescribe a number of necessary tests, but will be able to suggest a diagnosis based on the appearance of the oral cavity and additional signs. For example, if plaque appears in the form of dots, this is a sign of a fungal infection or damage to the gastrointestinal tract; large spots of plaque signal pathologies of the gallbladder and pancreas.

The examination program for such a problem is as follows:

1. A general blood test
   will show the inflammatory process, the presence of bacterial infections;
2. Bacterial culture from the oral cavity
   will reflect the specific type of pathogen, including the type of fungal infection;
3. Blood biochemistry
   – diagnoses pathologies of the hepatobiliary system, pancreas;
4. Coprogram, occult blood test
   - necessary to identify intestinal diseases;
5. FGS, colonoscopy
   - needed to clarify diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Which leads to a change in the color of the enamel.

Sometimes the tooth is already growing with spots due to some internal reasons.

But more often spots appear due to staining of the enamel or pellicle from the outside.

A very well-known option is teeth staining while taking medications such as iron or de-nol, which is popular among gastroenterologists.

But often plaque appears without any obvious external influence.

The most famous option is Priestley's plaque or, as it is called in English literature, “black stain”.

Treatment of black tongue

There are no uniform recommendations on how to remove plaque from the mucous membrane. Usually, the treatment measures recommended by a specialist for the underlying disease are sufficient, and the entire area of ​​the tongue is cleared and returns to its normal color. In case of acidosis, it is prescribed to drink more fluids and take alkaline mineral water. Inflammatory pathologies are treated by rinsing with antiseptics and taking antibiotics orally. Fungal infections are treated with antimycotics - tablets and drops on the tongue.

Only after a complete examination is treatment selected; independent therapy is unacceptable.

Gastrointestinal diseases are eliminated by correcting nutrition and taking medications:

• antisecretory agents;
• antacids;
• bile thinners;
• herbal choleretic agents;
• enzymes, etc.

It is also important to carry out regular oral hygiene 2-3 times a day, drink kefir and other fermented milk

to normalize intestinal flora, stop smoking and alcohol. At home, you should rinse your mouth with infusions of sage, lemon peels (a tablespoon per glass of water), saline solution with tea tree oil (a teaspoon of salt and 5 drops of oil per glass of water). This will speed up getting rid of black plaque and prevent relapse.

Measures to be taken

Photo 2: If the color of the tumors does not lighten within several days, then it is necessary to urgently visit a doctor to rule out pathologies such as tongue cancer, glossitis and other diseases.
Source: flickr (Olalla Esquimal). To get rid of stains, it is necessary to determine the root cause of their appearance and eliminate it . A number of diseases accompanied by this symptom can be easily cured with the help of medications and vitamin complexes. Along with medications taken orally, treatment of the organ surface . This procedure is carried out using the following means:

• decoctions of sage and chamomile;
• Imudon or Lysobact tablets;
• solutions of miramistin or chlorhexidine;
• treatment in a hospital with liquid nitrogen.

If fungal infection occurs , bifidobacteria and lactobacilli and probiotics are prescribed to normalize the microflora, as well as antifungal drugs such as nystatin, livarol, fluconazole or diflucan.