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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes A White Hairy Tongue?

I have white stuff on my tongue, a little hairy looking. I have tried many treatments. I brush it every day and use salt and lemon juice. Have used peroxide wash and bought product i n a tube to brush tongue with. I just read that I may need an anti viral to clear this up. I've had it for years. I use scrapers 3x daily.
Mon, 8 May 2017
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Dentist,  's  Response
Hi..
Thanks for the query..

White stiff on tongue can be most probably due to fungal infection known as Oral Thrush.
If you can see thin hair like structures rooted to the surface of tongue then it can be due to overgrowth of tongue papillae..
So a clinical examination is a must to pinpoint the exact cause..
If it is due to Thrush then antifungal medication like Fluconazole, Nystatin mouthwash and Clotrimazole lozenges can help..
But if it is due to overgrowth of papillae then simply brushing off the tongue, cleaning with a tongue scraper and eating hard foods and fruits will help in shedding it off..
So better get examined first..

Hope this helps..

Regards..
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What Causes A White Hairy Tongue?

Hi.. Thanks for the query.. White stiff on tongue can be most probably due to fungal infection known as Oral Thrush. If you can see thin hair like structures rooted to the surface of tongue then it can be due to overgrowth of tongue papillae.. So a clinical examination is a must to pinpoint the exact cause.. If it is due to Thrush then antifungal medication like Fluconazole, Nystatin mouthwash and Clotrimazole lozenges can help.. But if it is due to overgrowth of papillae then simply brushing off the tongue, cleaning with a tongue scraper and eating hard foods and fruits will help in shedding it off.. So better get examined first.. Hope this helps.. Regards..