Dentist's warning over poor diet choice that can lead to a 'black hairy tongue'

A dentist has issued a warning, explaining that poor diet choice can lead to a 'black hairy tongue'.

While ending up with this kind of ailment sounds like a nightmare situation for most people, it's apparently easily avoidable - as long as we're managing our oral hygiene properly.

Your tongue says a lot about your health (Getty Stock Image)

However, before you rush to cut out all sugars, apparently, it's all to do with something we're missing from our diets, rather than something we need to cut out.

Dr Andrej Bozic, who is an oral surgeon at Dentum, explained how we can avoid the condition.

He said: "Black hairy tongue (BHT) can be concerning, but it's important to understand the signs, causes, and treatments. With the right information, this condition can be managed effectively.

"This happens when the tiny projections on the tongue, called papillae, become elongated and stained by food, bacteria, or other substances.

"While the condition might look serious, it is generally benign and temporary."

Adding fibre to your diet can help (Getty Stock Image)

So, what actually causes it?

Well, Dr Bozic explained that not eating enough fibre can impact your tongue's ability to clean itself, which can worsen the condition.

Apparently, this is because foods high in fibre generate more saliva which fights bacteria.

The NHS explains that our dietary fibre should be around 30g a day as part of a balanced diet.

It's likely you're not getting enough fibre in your diet, however, as the NHS adds: "As most adults are only eating an average of about 20g day, we need to find ways of increasing our intake."

The site explains that to increase fibre intake, you could:

• Choose a high fibre breakfast cereal
• Opt for wholemeal or granary bread and choose wholegrains where possible
• Try potatoes with their skins on, for example, a baked potato
• Add in pulses like beans, lentils or chickpeas
• Include plenty of fruit and veg in your diet
• Try snacking on fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes and nuts or seeds

As well as upping your fibre intake, smoking, drinking too much tea and coffee or eating dark-coloured foods can worsen the impact of a black hairy tongue.

Meanwhile, some medications like antibiotics can also exacerbate this.

The good news is that it's pretty easy to treat, with Dr Bozic adding: "Brushing your teeth and tongue twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush or using a tongue scraper is crucial.

"In rare cases, BHT could indicate an underlying medical condition, so seeking professional advice is important."