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hairy tongue		A benign condition of the tongue characterized by hypertrophy of the filiform papillae that give the dorsum of the tongue a furry appearance. The color of the elongated papillae varies from yellowish white to brown or black, depending upon staining by substances such as tobacco, food, or drugs. (Dorland, 27th ed) [ Articles | Books | Images | Discussion groups ]
Additional comments : Drinking Pink Liquid May Lead To A Black Tongue Dentists are often the first to diagnose and treat oral reactions, especially since many reactions occur with any medications used in excess, or in combinations with other drugs, such as vitamins and herbs, according to a report in the March/April 2005 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal. Too much bismuth subsalicylate, for example, can turn your tongue black, but the reaction is temporary and harmless. Also, too much antibiotic usage can do the same thing and give you a black, hairy-looking tongue. And, any acidic type of medication can cause canker sores, including chewable vitamin C. Source: Academy of General Dentistry Oral Changes Associated with Tobacco Use Tobacco is a delivery system for the addictive agent nicotine. The oral mucosa is composed of stratified squamous epithelium and masticatory/keratinized (hard palate, dorsum of the tongue, and keratinized gingival) and lining mucosa (floor of the mouth, ventrolateral surface of the tongue, soft palate complex, labial vestibule, and buccal mucosa). Tobacco use affects the surface epithelium, resulting in changes in the appearance of the tissues. The changes may range from an increase in pigmentation to thickening of the epithelium (white lesion). Tobacco use can also irritate the minor salivary glands on the hard palate and directly increase a person's risk for periodontal disease and oral cancer. Some of the more common oral lesions that are associated with tobacco use are smoker's melanosis, nicotinic stomatitis, periodontal disease, smokeless tobacco keratosis, gingival recession/tooth abrasion, black hairy tongue, and oral cancer. Source: American Journal of the Medical Sciences Tongue Scrapers Only Slightly Reduce Bad Breath Bad breath is a common problem for many people, given the wide variety of substances traveling through our mouths daily. Some people avoid offensive foods and drinks, chew gum, use mouthrinses, or eat mints to mask unpleasant odor. Others cannot escape bad breath quite so easily. At least 40 million Americans suffer from halitosis. Unfortunately, there is no standard treatment for it. Though there is no standard treatment, bacteria-causing halitosis can be reduced by brushing or scraping the middle and back of the tongue.  Tongue scraping can lower volatile sulfur compounds concentration, subsequently reducing oral malodor.  However, that reduction is only short-term, and not an absolute solution for eliminating malodor. Source: Academy of General Dentistry Hairy Tongue Hairy tongue or black hairy tongue is a benign condition characterized by hypertrophy of the filiform papillae that give the dorsum of the tongue a furry appearance. The color of the elongated papillae varies from yellowish white to brown or black. The etiology is unclear, but the disorder has been associated with numerous predisposing conditions such as heavy smoking, poor oral hygiene, use of topical or systemic antibiotics, systemic corticosteroid therapy, yeast infections, and radiotherapy for head and neck malignancies. Source: Acta Oto-Rhino-Laryngologica Belgica.

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