8 Great Home Remedies For Coated Tongue
Having a coated tongue is a common dental hygiene issue. A coated tongue can happen for many different reasons: poor dental hygiene, dry mouth, low fiber intake, dehydration and the use of tobacco products or alcohol.
Since there are so many causes of the same problem, there are many different easy ways to cure the problem. Follow these simple and inexpensive home remedies to learn how to cure your coated tongue in no time at all.
#1. Dental Hygiene
A coated tongue is more or less the result of poor dental hygiene in most cases. You can easily prevent having a coated tongue just by taking proper care of your mouth. You can do this by brushing your teeth twice a day, as well as using mouthwash and flossing. When you brush your teeth you can also brush your tongue, which should be able to get rid of most of the bacteria on your tongue.
#2. Avoid Tobacco Products
Tobacco products can make is easier for bacteria and food bits to stick to your tongue even after you’re done eating and smoking. Even chewing tobacco can have negative effects on your tongue’s appearance. If you are currently smoking or chewing tobacco, then it is likely that the tobacco is causing your tongue to be coated. The best home remedy to relieve this problem is to quit smoking or chewing. Once you stop doing this your tongue should be able to go back to normal on its own.
#3. Tongue Scrape
One natural remedy to get rid of the white coating on your tongue, at least temporarily, is to scrape or rub off the coating manually. You can do this by buying a tongue scraper wherever dental tools are sold, or buy using a warm washcloth. If you chose to use the washcloth, then put it over your finger and rub your tongue with it for a few minutes. You don’t need soap or toothpaste, just warm water. Do this once a day for temporary relief.
#4. Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water is a natural home remedy can help to wash away some of the white coating on your tongue. Sometimes your tongue can become coated because your mouth is too dry as well. The best way to keep yourself hydrated is to drink plenty of water.
Try to avoid sugary, caffeinated, and alcoholic drinks while you are trying to cure yourself of a coated tongue. Try to stick to drinking just water until your tongue is back to its normal color. To prevent a coated tongue from happening because of a dry mouth, try to drink about eight glasses of water a day.
#5. Fiber
Not eating enough foods with fiber in them can also cause a person to have a coated tongue. The easiest way to combat this cause is to add more fiber to their diet. Many people avoid eating fiber-rich foods because they think that they taste bad, or are too bland.
As everyone knows, whole grains contain decent amounts of fiber, but so do berries and leafy green vegetables. Simply adding a salad to your day or adding in some berries to your cereal in the morning is one of the best natural remedies that can help to add more fiber to your diet.
#6. Acidic Fruit
Eating acidic fruits like oranges and pineapple can actually help to get rid of some of the coating on your tongue. This helps because the acid in the fruit is tough enough to get rid of the bacteria on your tongue without actually hurting you. Try to eat an orange or an acidic fruit at least once a day to remove some coating on your tongue. Remember to rinse your mouth after eating the fruit so the acid does not cause cavities or enamel erosion.
#7. Herbal Tea
Herbal tea, such as mint tea, can help with the symptoms of a coated tongue. Drinking mint tea can help to relieve you of bad breath that often comes with a coated tongue. Drinking any kind of tea can also help to rinse away some of the bacteria that is causing you to have a coated tongue as well. Mint tea works as a sort of double-edged sword when it comes to fighting your coated tongue. This makes a great home remedy and addition to your diet as well.
#8. Salt Or Baking Soda Rinse
Using salt or baking soda basically have the same effects on a coated tongue, so it doesn’t matter which you use. Mix a tablespoon of either ingredient into a full glass of warm water. Gargle sips of this water mix until the whole glass is warm. Spit out the water after gargling instead of swallowing it. You can also put some salt on a warm washcloth to make it easier to manually scrub off some of the coating.
Hopefully these natural home remedies can help to cure your coated tongue.
