Tag Archives: International District Dentistry Clinic

Does your tongue look like it is growing hair? This is a condition known, appropriately, as black hairy tongue. This condition occurs when your papillae swell and lengthen. This allows for bacteria and particles to become trapped, taking on a hair-like appearance. The pigments from your food and bacteria turn the papillae black, or occasionally a different color.

There are many potential causes of black hairy tongue, including the following:

• Insufficient oral hygiene
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Dehydration
• Antibiotics or certain medications
• Drinking large amounts of tea or coffee
• Radiation therapy in the head or neck
• Mouthwash containing peroxide, menthol, or witch hazel

The good news is that black hairy tongue can be cured by improving your oral hygiene. Start scraping your tongue, get more water, and consider giving up smoking. Finally, be sure to make your regular visits to our dentist in the International District.

Every so often, you’ll probably bite down on the inside of one of your cheeks. It’s a painful experience, and one that often gets worse before it gets better. When it happens, some people get to wondering if they might have a problem. Could my teeth be at fault? Is this something I should take to my International District dentistry clinic? Fortunately, the answer is quite simple.

Biting your cheek is quite normal, even if you have perfectly straight and healthy teeth. The trouble that people experience when they bite their cheeks is that you’re likely to get some swelling in the cheek tissues, which makes it all the easier to bite yourself in the same place and make the swelling worse. When this happens, it can be easy to think that you might have a chronic problem.

What you want to do in this situation is to be mindful of your injury. Take care when you chew so that you can let the tissues heal and break the vicious cycle. In some instances, you may benefit from some sort of orthodontic wax or another product to protect your cheek. Consult your dentist for more information.