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What Is Hairy Tongue?
Question: What is hairy tongue?
Brief Answer:
ADVICE REGARDING HAIRY TONGUE
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query in HCM
This is Dr. Swarnava dattagupta answering your query
See, as you have asked a general question, I am giving you an overview.
Hairy tongue or lingua villosa is mostly a benign condition which is quite common in clinics and I have encountered some till date. They basically appear because of overgrowth of the papillae that are present in tongue.
See, poor oral hygiene accounts for most of the cases. Also, prolonged antibiotics use and tobacco or tea coffee drinking were also complained by my patients and they are important causes.
The tongue become coated and further bacterial and viral growth leads to different colouration of the coatings.
Basically, I do not do much investigations. Only culture and KOH mounting of the scrapings if required. But ruling out oral hairy leukoplakia etc are important.
Treatment should basically be strict maintenance of oral hygiene. 90% of my patients have been cured with it only. Antifungals, surgical clearance are also done in rare cases.
Prognosis is good. It does not lead to cancer.
Hope I have answered your question.
Feel free to ask me any other question and I will be happy to help.
Regards
ADVICE REGARDING HAIRY TONGUE
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query in HCM
This is Dr. Swarnava dattagupta answering your query
See, as you have asked a general question, I am giving you an overview.
Hairy tongue or lingua villosa is mostly a benign condition which is quite common in clinics and I have encountered some till date. They basically appear because of overgrowth of the papillae that are present in tongue.
See, poor oral hygiene accounts for most of the cases. Also, prolonged antibiotics use and tobacco or tea coffee drinking were also complained by my patients and they are important causes.
The tongue become coated and further bacterial and viral growth leads to different colouration of the coatings.
Basically, I do not do much investigations. Only culture and KOH mounting of the scrapings if required. But ruling out oral hairy leukoplakia etc are important.
Treatment should basically be strict maintenance of oral hygiene. 90% of my patients have been cured with it only. Antifungals, surgical clearance are also done in rare cases.
Prognosis is good. It does not lead to cancer.
Hope I have answered your question.
Feel free to ask me any other question and I will be happy to help.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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