I saw a specialist and he told me I have plaque on my tongue .I was treated for thrush but it didn't go away (family doctor).and he sent me to an Infection Specialist who said it was Plaque.I use Biotene right now.I scrape my tongue with a special scraper.I brush at least 3x a day.
Does anyone know how to get rid of Plaque on the tongue?
Question posted by mograce1 on 24 July 2012
Last updated on 4 October 2013 by LaRocheF
5 Answers
Official Answer
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 10, 2020.
Plaque that has built up on the tongue needs to be removed with a tongue scraper or a toothbrush. If you have an aversion to scraping or brushing your tongue, you can use an anti-bacterial mouthwash,such as chlorhexidine but it will not be as effective in removing the plaque. Daily use of chlorhexidine may help to prevent more plaque build up.
LaRocheF
4 Oct 2013
Use orabrush and orabrush foam great product!
HeadStarter
26 July 2012
I swear by Biotene... all of the oral products. It is also important to get your diet under control and as our lovely meyati has explained... there is quite a routine to it all. The only thing is for me, I had to use the Biotene because the other mouthwashes and rinses burn my mouth - that was the reason for the Biotene as recommended by my oral surgeon. Nothing worse than having thrush and your mouth on fire from some of those oral rinses.
Best of luck to you and I hope you find comfort through it all. It does get better and it does take time.
Mary
meyati
26 July 2012
My tongue had a good color, but polyps grew from my tongue- so I had things hanging from my tongue. Nobody had seen those before. They took pictures for a medical journal, cut them all off and sent them for biopsy- Thrush. I think that the dentist was hoping that it was a new type of cancer or some new disease so he could have it named after him.
mograce1
26 July 2012
I was told I have plaque,not thrush by the specialist.I use Biotene mouthwash,Thanks,Mograce
endlessPred
26 July 2012
Ah, Meyeti. you got a chance to be a star and they took it away. My weird illness was a case presented at a conference. What I learned is other docs got to respond with their knowledge, and sadly I didn't even get flowers for my unique illness. lol. Thank goodness you didn't pass the cool test. Incurable is not what one wants to hear. Glad you are doing well in that one thing. Karen
mograce1
26 July 2012
I was diagnosed as having plaque,not thrush,but I still have plaque on my tongue.It is frustrating.I do use Biotene.
endlessPred
26 July 2012
I hear you. Time to look at your diet and when you brush. You can improve this by cutting carbs and sugars from your diet.
Plaque is bacterial. It gets worse with sugars in the mouth, which feed the bacteria. It takes a few months to get it manageable and one simply can't let up on it. Rinses don't work for me as my mouth burns due to medication lesions. So cannt say on that.
Also, taking folic acid changes the interior of the mouth. Less plaque. When was your last cleaning? Do you have gingivitis?
HeadStarter
26 July 2012
Hey mograce - I answered above also but I would continue with the Biotene plus all of the directions listed by endless. And, in case you missed it, birch sugar can be gotten from swanson in the U.S. I am not sure where you are. I cannot use the other rinses because they burn the heck out of my mouth. Biotene is an excellent product so I would keep that part and expect to be doing this routine for perhaps a few months before it is under control. Maybe it will be shorter for you but want to give you some frame of reference so you don't get frustrated after just a few weeks or so and not improving as fast as you would like. I know you said you eat well but really look at the foods again or this will be an endless cycle for you. No pun intended, endless!!!
Mary
mograce1
27 July 2012
I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome so My diet is limited already with migraine Headaches and IBS.If I cut out anything else I'll be losing more weight.(I lost 15 lbs).I'm stable at 113 lbs now.Thanks for your comment,Mograce
endlessPred
25 July 2012
My dentist has me using a scraper and birch sugar. This sugar is just a tiny bit you brush on your tongue and hold In your mouth until it fully dissolves. He has been promoting this method and it works well. Birch sugar is a natural anti bacterial agent. It has worked really well for me. My tongue is healing from dry mouth, lesions and the effects of intermittent thrush. I now have regular pink tongue areas rather than bleeding crevices. Brushing the tongue did not do it for me. Perhaps this will work for you. It is used five times a day, 1/4 teaspoon each time. It does not affect diabetes or other problems. It inhibits yeast growth as well.
mograce1
26 July 2012
Where do you get birch sugar
mograce1
26 July 2012
Where do you get birch sugar
endlessPred
26 July 2012
Well, besides my dentist he said you order it on the internet. It has a different texture than regular sugar, slightly coarser. Different sweetness, not as sweet. If you can't find it let me know and I will see if I can get a resource. I do know a two pound bag costs ten dollars retail. So it is cheap. Really, really helped.
HeadStarter
26 July 2012
mograce - are you in the U.S??? I found birch sugar at swanson vitamins. It is called xlyismart and comes in 8oz granules. Hey endless??? Can you look at that product to see if that is what you are referring to? I get lots of supplements from this company...
Mary
endlessPred
27 July 2012
Sweet cool crystals. This is the brand name. Can order at my dentist. I will send address private if you want it. It is natural xylitol and it is safe for diabetic.
I saw huge improvement in a week. I do tend to forget the five times a day and when I do the plaque comes back. It also has helped heal lesions and bumps, polyps, disappear. My teeth cleaning is every six months. Much less plaque. Gums stay healthy. And when I am pretty ill I can go a few days not doing a great job with the teeth.
However, there was a question I have been asking. When is the last time you saw a dentist (not you Mary).
meyati
25 July 2012
Like you I didn't find a scraper to be good. The secret is in how you brush and eating yogurt and don't eat yeast bread or sugar things. It's caused by a bacteria imbalance in your digestive system. That's where yogurt helps- it has the right bacteria. Yeast bread feeds the bad bacteria as does sugar. I found myself very hungry for bread just before a breakout. Just because you don't have symptoms- it doesn't mean that it is gone.
Now brushing. You need to brush your teeth well- rinsing your tooth brush often, brush the roof of your mouth, your gums, checks, under your tongue, and as far back into your throat that you can. Rinse your mouth well and use a good mouth wash- I like listerine, my dentist likes scope. What probably really made the difference was using new tooth brushes, because the old tooth brush puts the yeast back in your mouth another day.
It took me almost a year of doing this to get rid of it, but my whole body is so much more comfortable, my breath is better, food tastes better. I still brush my teeth several times a day. good luck
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