Have a white tongue? Go the nature’s way to treat it

White tongue can be embarrassing. Maintaining a good oral hygiene and tongue scraping are some of the effective ways to get rid of it.

By: Aishwarya Vaidya | | Updated: August 7, 2018 1:58 pm

Do you often see yourself in the mirror and spot that white tongue? Not so pleasing right? Well, it can be annoying and you may even suffer from bad breath. So, if your tongue appears white instead of pink, then it’s time to rethink about your oral hygiene. Also Read - Red tongue with yellow coating – This may be a sign of heart disease

Oral thrush (a fungal infection caused by the overgrowth of candida) or poor oral hygiene are some of the possible health issues which can lead to white tongue. The food debris, bacteria and dead cells get lodged between inflamed papillae causing white tongue. Though it is not so serious, it can put you at the risk of infections. Also Read - Foodborne diseases peak in summer: Here's how you can stay safe

Poor oral hygiene, dehydration, fever, dry mouth, smoking, alcohol consumption, eating spicy and so on can make your tongue appear white. Follow these tips to get rid of the white tongue.
• Eat probiotics: White coating can be formed due to the imbalance of healthy gut bacteria. So, eat probiotics which will help you to maintain a good gut health. Furthermore, probiotics can also prevent tongue inflammation and tackle the bacterial growth.
• Use baking soda: It can exfoliate your tongue, maintains a good PH level in the mouth and can help you to get rid of the residue which causes white tongue. Take the paste of baking soda and lime juice on your brush and make sure that you scrub your tongue well.
• Coconut oil pulling can be a boon: To kill candida you should surely try it. With a tablespoon of coconut oil, swish your mouth for 10 minutes and spill it out and wash your mouth with warm water.
• Use sea salt: Eliminate bacteria and debris that causes white tongue by gargling with sea salt and water as it contains antibacterial properties.
• Say bye, bye to the white tongue by using aloe vera juice: Aloe vera is jam-packed with antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties due to which the white coating on your tongue can disappear. Swish your mouth with one tablespoon of aloe vera juice.
• Eat garlic clove: Garlic has antifungal properties which can help you to deal with the white tongue. Eating a garlic clove can be beneficial.
• Tongue scraping is the need of the hour: Brush your teeth and gums twice a day followed by tongue scraping which will help you to remove the bacteria from the tongue. Moreover, it will also help you to get rid of bad breath. Also Read - TB bacteria trigger cough, facilitating spread