The appearance of a thick and black covering on the tongue can be quite alarming and may even prompt a call to our office for an immediate checkup. But chances are, what you are seeing is a cosmetic condition called black hairy tongue that, while disconcerting in appearance, is really nothing to get too worked up about. It is, however, something that you can fix.

If your initial reaction to seeing black hairy tongue is to call our Cherry Creek dentists for a cleaning and examination, you’re not too far off the mark. In fact, professional cleanings coupled with a more progressive daily oral hygiene routine are the best treatments for black hairy tongue. Other ways to reduce the visibility of this condition is by:

  • Refraining from tobacco use
  • Cutting down on coffee and tea
  • Not using a mouthwash with peroxide
young woman checking her breath with her hand

You can also add tongue scraping to your daily routine. Available at nearly all grocery stores in Denver, tongue scrapers remove bacteria and debris from the mouth that may have been missed by brushing. This can help eliminate black hairy tongue and remove volatile sulfur compounds from the mouth – a benefit that has shown to reduce chronic bad breath. We would be happy to discuss this with you in more detail during your next visit to our office.

If you have begun to notice signs of black hairy tongue, don’t panic. Please contact DeWitt Dental Associates online or by calling 303-321-5656 today. We welcome patients from all Metro Denver communities at our comfortable Cherry Creek office location.