Have you ever wondered why the doctor asks you to stick your tongue out, he may not be checking your tonsils every time, he may also be looking to deduce your ailment by the colour of your tongue.

When was the last time you paid attention to the colour of your tongue and/or its cleanliness? Your tongue colour says more about you and your overall wellness than you may know. Even after cleaning the tongue regularly, some problems may occur that would change its colour.

Take a closer look, there could be a hidden meaning in the shade that your tongue possesses. Typically, a healthy tongue is pink in colour and a slight white coating is also normal. But there should not be any cracks, ulcers or teeth marks and tongue size should be normal in thickness. However, erratically the colour may change due to some underlying issue. When you notice a consequential change in your tongue colour visit your doctor without delay. 

Here are some shades and tongue colour meanings:

Light Pink Tongue: A pink-coloured tongue with a light white coating is the optimum healthy tongue colour. It must have no patches, colour variation, blisters, marks, cuts, spots or any other out of the ordinary look and/or feel. 

White Tongue: Thick white patches on the tongue and/or inner cheeks are known as Leukoplakia that is caused by smoking or other tobacco products but it may also indicate flu. Though mostly benign, in some cases it can be cancerous hence it should be biopsied.

Pale Tongue: A pale-coloured tongue indicates nutritional deficiency like that of iron (during anaemia) or vitamin B.

Yellow Tongue: A yellow-coloured tongue could mean bacterial growth or could be due to smoking, chewing tobacco, it could also mean there is a problem with your digestive system or liver. 

Red Tongue: A red-coloured tongue (not a shade of pink) is alarming too since it may indicate Vitamin B deficiencies, Kawasaki disease (common in children under five years of age), and Scarlet fever.

Blue Tongue: A blue-coloured tongue may be indicative of poor oxygen circulation in the blood and can lead to lung or kidney problems.

Purple Tongue: A purple-coloured tongue could indicate heart troubles and poor overall blood circulation; it can also denote Kawasaki disease.

Black Tongue: A black-coloured tongue signifies poor oral hygiene, antibiotics, or if you are diabetic. In any case, it is best to consult your doctor because there could also be bacteria build-up on your tongue that is turning it black. 

Brown Tongue: A brown-coloured tongue may be caused by excessive caffeine intake, smoking. Chronic smoking may cause a permanent brown coating on the tongue, they should consult the doctor. 

Check your tongue colour at Know Your Tongue Colour and contact us to set you up with your nearest best dentist if you see something alarming. Additionally do remember to visit your dentist twice a year even if you have a healthy pink tongue.