The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Toothpaste Without Chemicals
Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 03/20/2010
A while ago I read a comment here where someone said that the coated tongue had got better after cleaning the teeth with a more natural tooth paste. As I have had this problem all my life and nothing seemed to make it better today I decided to go looking for one and guess what? After doing it just once my tongue was pink and has stayed that way for the rest of the day. Let's see whether it won't get coated again but so far so good. This is a tooth paste without flouride or other additives and it has salt made by a well known brand of health products.
Toothpaste Without Chemicals
Posted by Anthony (London, Uk) on 03/07/2010
★★★★★
Hi, have had a coated tongue for years (33 yo) and don't know why. Brush it every night gargled, use salt, have a healthy diet blah blah blah.
I've recently (2 months ago), having read of the dangers of parabens and Sodium Laurel Sulphate, stopped using all cleansing products apart from a little, food grade shower gel on armpits, groin and bum. I extended this to toothpaste 2 days ago, I now use one with aloevera and teatree oil in. My tongue has gone clean!
Also, in this time, my very mild but persistent 'bacne' has cleared up, my forehead bumps have gone down, and I'm regrowing little hairs on my, sadly, thinning pate.
I think I was allergic to the chemicals.
Salt
Posted by Ravanshe (Chicago, Il, United States) on 03/04/2010
Hey - have a couple questions I was hoping somebody could answer. What is the exact "recipe" for the salt method and is there anybody who could provide some feedback on its effectiveness in the long term? Is this a once daily type thing, is there any method that people have had good results with that lasts? Also, where does one get glycerin and how is it supposed to be used?
Thanks so much!
Salt
Posted by Sirsmellybreath (Mentor, Oh) on 03/02/2010
★☆☆☆☆
I'm changing my vote to nea. Yes, it does work...temporarily. My coating started returning in 2 days despite cleaning the tongue twice a day. Leaving baking soda on the tongue for a few minutes then brushing also removes the coating and without the dangers of salt. Salt can burn and even permenantly damage the tongue. I'm sure you can safely use baking soda several times a week without a problem
Salt
Posted by Sirsmellybreath (Mentor, Ohio, Usa) on 02/28/2010
I have had a white coating...shag rug to be more accurate, for most of my life (I'm mid 40's). I just thought it was normal. I tried this salt cure...and dang...my tongue looks SO much better. I didn't really measure..just made a paste for my toothbrush..kept in on for 4 minutes then brushed a few more times. I'm so embarrassed that I have been blasting people with my nasty breath for so many years when such an easy cure was available. I'm going to try Lactobacillus supplements to prevent reoccurence.
Red Wine
Posted by Rudi (Hong Kong) on 02/28/2010
★★★★★
I have always had a thick white coating on my tongue. While drinking a few glasses of red wine (i think very cheap and bad quality as the taste was very sour and it came from China) i felt some tinkling on my tongue and a bit burning. The tinkling was as if small blisters burst open. The next day the white coating was dark purple from the wine, and after brushing the colour was still here. One or two days later i looked at my tongue and it was pink! Never seen this in my life before, and not justa little pink. But fresh, smooth, clean, the best and nicest tongue i have ever seen. Like photoshopped!
Now after 9 weeks it is coming back a little but, not too much. I wish i could find that wine again!
Anybody here has an idea about what in this red wine might have caused this amazing result?
Salt
Posted by Elsaeasterly (Elsewhere, Ca, Usa) on 02/22/2010
I have searched for the brush you describe and cannot find it. Could you please post the brand name here or, if not allowed, email me at elsaeasterly (@) yahoo.com without the spaces, of course?
Salt
Posted by Help Me (Quezon City, Manila, Philippines) on 01/29/2010
helo YEA.. i really like your posts.. (though i dont try one yet) .. it sounds effective.. may i ask you how to effectively remove white coating on tongue? i look closely in the mirror while brushing and i notice that the white coating in my tongue has ahhh,, well i cant spell it in english.. but pieces of white particles.. it looks awful.. and minutes after i brush.. breathe goes bad again.. for the last 2 weeks ive been brushing my tongue roughly.. it even bleeds 3 times but i ignored it just to remove this awful coating.. but its very tight and i think i cant remove it with just the way i am trying. so i think i need suggestions of the experienced.. And also dieting and not eating sugarly foods makes your tongue pink? is it true? please HELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP MEEEEEEE !!! :(
Salt
Posted by Arp (Burlington, Vermont) on 01/14/2010
Table salt is dangerous and should be considered poisonous. Try using kosher salt or sea salt ;)
Salt
Posted by Bowens4 (Canton, Mi) on 01/03/2010
★★★★★
I just used the salt cure for white tongue. I used regular table salt for lack of sea salt. It worked great !! All skeptics, please try this remedy. It truly works. Thanks to all who provided a response. This is my first time ever providing a response because I am so pleased white the positive result. A pink tongue after brushing constantly with no results. use the salt, it again, works immediately.
Listerine
Posted by Jay (Los Angeles, Ca Usa) on 12/11/2009
★☆☆☆☆
I have been using it for about two months and no improvement yet.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Shaun (Provo, Utah) on 11/20/2009
★★★★☆
I have not been aware of "white tongue" as a condition until more recently, having it begin to dawn on me. Looking back from late teen years, I kept good oral heigene, but my breath was offensive, and I didn't know how to alleviate it. In later years the tongue became the focus of concern. Will toothpaste break down that white coating on the tongue? No. Somehow I began to find relief by bringing a heaping load of baking soda into my mouth on my toothbrush. I would then press the powder against the roof of my mouth for a while, then brush and rinse it off as well. It was a great help, actually chemically breaking down that white coating. It was so helpful that I began to put baking powder in a small jar and having it with my toothpaste when I travel. I've also gargled with water and some hydrogen peroxide. Salt water is great too, but I want to avoid the table salt containing aluminum, added in as a non-caking agent.
Of interest to those here. There is a "detox" diet, which I tried a few years ago and I believed helped me much in overall health, giving relief to a burdened liver (as the whites of my eyes were jaundiced looking.)
after getting I'll and seeing a very jaundiced look in my eyes, I went ahead and comitted to this Stanley Burough's "Master Cleanser" or lemonade diet. My mother had tried it. One thing you do when on the diet (10 day minimum) is monitor your tongue. Within. Few days on that detox, the tongue become a white shag carpet as the body begins to operate a cellular house cleaning. The tongue indicates the progress. And when do you note you're clean? The tongue turns pink and the white coating is gone.
I did that cleanse diet (a little yellow book at the health food store,) and found that in 30 days I did not get rid of white tongue, which indicates I am still full of toxins, despite all the absolutely vile stuff I hacked up when on the diet. I will begin that diet anew after thanksgiving. Perhaps this round I'll obtain that enviable pink tongue.
When on that diet, I must relate that I only needed 6 hours of sleep a night to feel very rested, nor did I toss and turn. I always awoke and felt bright, easily able to rise from bed. I had energy all day and ambition not evident since my teen years.
One other thing to share, that last time I got sick and jaundiced looking, I took up the free bio-meridian scan offered by Dr Jack Stockwell in SLC on his radio show. They tested me and the technition asked: "what have you done to your lungs? You have done damage to your lungs, you've got scar tissue in your lungs and are loaded in the abdomen with toxins."
Bingo. I was becoming a believer in the scan. My Sr. year of high school I was in a finishing room in the woodshop two hours a day for a few months. It was toxic. The year after I graduated, the fire Marshall condemned the place, forcing a wall to be knocked out and many more exhaust fans installed. My time there resulted in my developing an athsmatic condition, where I just struggled to get air. After a year it seemed this condition left me and I forgot about it until that scan affirmed lung damage and toxins were in my system.
So is that the basis of my white tongue? Will another long 2-3 weeks on the lemonaide diet cleanse me enough to obtain permanantly that white tongue? I shall see.
Thanks for the site and the reading of all these posts dealing with white tongue. It's very informative.
Oil Pulling
Posted by 2much (San Francisco, California, Usa) on 11/13/2009
Hello, I was reading the comments on Oil Pulling and I am interested in trying it. But what is it? and How do I try it? Thanks is advance.
Salt
Posted by Sri (Ny, Ny) on 11/12/2009
As far as I can tell, if it is returning repeatedly, you need to balance the pH of your body with one of the remedies posted elsewhere on the website, namely, Ted's formulas taking probiotics or using some over the counter supplement to balance the pH.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Tim (Tucson, Arizona Usa) on 10/26/2009
Have any of the people reporting here with white tongue been exposed to raccoon, or mouse droppings, or have a dog that has been exposed to the droppings? I am thinking that there might be a connection from the intestional issues, Candida, and Baylisascaris procyonis.
Glycerin
Posted by Chris (Floral Park, Ny) on 10/13/2009
★★★★★
I found a bottle of vegetable glycerin in a health food store for about $5. I put a few drops on my toothbrush and bushed my tongue. It has been white for years even after hydrogen peroxide, salt, different toothpastes. After using glycerin for a day my tongue is almost totally pink. My mouth also tastes sweet but not overly so.
Salt
Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, USA) on 10/06/2009
Why don't you give hydrogen peroxide a try. Go on that page and read the feedback about swishing it in your mouth. You can use 3% full strength. When I do it, I do it while I'm showering and hold it in my mouth for probably about a minute. It whitens the teeth, cleans the breath, kills bacteria and your tongue becomes nice and pink. Check it out. Lisa
Salt
Posted by Rogers (San Mateo, Ca) on 10/06/2009
★☆☆☆☆
I was so excited to try the salt remedy that everyone here mentioned to cure by white tongue, but I'm afraid it did not work...at all. I did the rinsing with sea salt, then sprinkled salt on my tongue and let it sit there for five minutes, then three times brushed my tongue with a sea salt/water paste, and it did nothing to remove the whiteness on my tongue and make it any pinker.
Water
Posted by Kathy (Dubois, Pa) on 09/27/2009
Have you checked your Blood Glucose levels? All kinds of nasty beasties thrive when your BG levels are too high...and "too high" means anything over 120ml/dl 1hr after a meal.
p.s. Organ damage starts at anything over 140mg/dl
Water
Posted by Ed (Belle Plaine, Minnesota) on 09/26/2009
Read with great interest the easiest answer for tongue coatings. I have had the problem for 6 months now. Finally, at my annual physical my doctor told me that it might be a fungus, and gave me a prescription. Have taken it for 8 days now, with maybe a slight improvement. Will be trying the sea salt method tomorrow so hopefully that does the trick.
Acidophilus
Posted by Fred (San Diego, California) on 08/21/2009
★★★★★
Remedy: Probiotics
I had a white coating on my tongue for a long time. The salt remedy didn't work for me (it made the coating orange). After doing research on the web I tried this, and it worked in ONE DAY:
I took a large spoon and filled it half full of water. I opened one of my probiotics (commonly called "acidophilus") capsules, and poured a small amount of the powder into the water. I used very little, only about half the size of a pencil eraser. I rocked the spoon back and forth to get all of the powder wet. After brushing my teeth and right before going to bed, I swallowed the contents of the spoon. That's it!
The next day my tongue coating was better, and doing it a few more nights made an incredible difference. You don't have to wait weeks or months to see if this works for you. I didn't scrape my tongue or do anything else special, though I do think that limiting your sugar intake is beneficial.
My probiotics have two bacterial strains: L acidophilus and B. lactis (also known as B. infantis), and it is quite concentrated at 15 billion organisms per capsule. I'm guessing that any good probiotic would work, but have only tried mine.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Donna (Sydney, Australia) on 08/08/2009
If you want to cure bad breath and white tongue try Manucca Honey each day. Just a teaspoon each morning. It takes about 2 weeks to work. The higher the umm in the honey the better
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kathy (Nevada) on 07/27/2009
try to brush your tongue with salt...it takes the white stuff off!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Je (Manila, Philippines) on 07/27/2009
★☆☆☆☆
Helo im here coz i stil have white coating on my tongue and halitosis as well, i tried brushng my tongue using baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and now the charcoal powder..And i stil have a sour taste n my mouth when i wake up. Somebody plz help me get rid of ths embarasing problem.
Chinese Medicine Diagnosis of the Tongue
Posted by Kevin (Vancouver, BC) on 07/22/2009
I am an acupunturist. Usually a white tongue or coating mean cold is inside.
Yellow means heat is inside. I know these terms seem a bit out there but using the idea of yin and yang is or cold and hot is more sophisticated than trying to figure out a single cause when the body is an orchestra or functions.
So for a white toungue one would suggest Hot or warming food. For example ginger or cinnamon or cayenne. I would also suggests other tonic herbs like ginseng but only if there is not thick coating. A thick coating means excess or too much and so to build that would make it worse. You need to decrease the thickness. This is done by taking herbs that help to clear dampness usually bitter ones or astringent like orange peel for example.
There is a whole study of toungue coating and colour out there that is foundational to chinese diagnosis. Your toungue is a great indicator of health.
So to recap white toungue means cold so get warm and the toungue will change. Literally and with warming food. DO not eat ice cream or drink cold drinks with a cold tongue.
Salt
Posted by HillaryAnne (Tulsa, Oklahoma) on 07/17/2009
★★★★★
Salt cure for white coating on the tongue... I only noticed that I had this issue last week when a friend asked if I had eaten a banana or something. I decided to google and stumbled onto this site. I brushed with some salt and saw improvement and then read more. I coated my whole tongue with it and kept it on as long as possible (about four minutes). Worked like a charm. I am really delighted. But if you rinse with peroxide it will look like it came back for a minute lol.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Rich (Boca Raton, Fl) on 07/16/2009
I tried other stuff too, listerine, peroxide, etc...
However, I suspect 4 things... Chloride deficiency, Iodine Deficiency, Potassium Deficiency, Candida/Yeast overgrowth as the root cause. With a high potassium diet, I can turn the tongue red again for a few hours. With a teaspoon of KI, I can do the same thing.
As a high salt diet is the Merck Veterinary Cure for Candida in chickens, I suspect a chloride deficiency may cause gut problems, and yeast overgrowth, and poor digestion.
I've got premature greying, which I suspect may be Iodine deficiency(since I don't eat fish). Iodine kills yeast(and more bacteria than Chlorine).
Potassium deficiency in animals causes the intestines to turn white. I suspect the tongue as well. I suspect it just neutralizes the acids of Bacteria, and without it, they damage you, and stuff turns white do to damage.
*********
With the providone experiment, things are going great. A little slower than I wanted. No yeast in the mouth. Receding Gumlines unreceding. Strange 6 month pimples on the forehead near the hairline, healing. I would recommend this.
However, 1% providone is the minimum concentration to kill alot of bad stuff. Providone usually comes in 10% bottles. Saliva will dilute it. Providone from CVS is different from Providone in Walgreens(other ingredients).
Warning: Too much providone for too long is bad; molecular iodine like molecular chlorine can damage cells at a specific concentration for specific duration... I don't know what this number is though. The iodine is less toxic than chlorine though (both msds and experimentation).
Oil Pulling
Posted by chris (shreveport, la/usa) on 06/21/2009
it sounds like you are having a healing crisis. which means your body is detoxing. congrats!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Rich (Boca Raton, Fl) on 06/21/2009
I've experimented with the white tongue for 6 months. Tried:
Failures:
1. Honey. No success.
2. Salt - strong effect, but no success.
3. Oregano Oil - stings, but no success.
4. Peppermint Oil - failure.
5. Listerine(Eucalptus oil) - failure.
6. Baking Soda - success for 1 day, failure afterwards.
7. Borax - success for 1 day, failure afterwards.
8. Diluted Bleach - turns tounge white, failure.
9. Acidified Bleach - 1/2 cap of bleach plus 2 TBSP ACV. This should create Hypochlorite. Turns toungue whiter. No success. This is supposed to have 10x the killing power of bleach.
10. Olive Oil - this started to turn my teeth yellow. Bad Failure. Candida may feed on the Oleic acid in Olive Oil. I dunno, but I ended this experiment early.
*****
Successes"
11. Turmeric - partial improvement. Temporary. Turns tounge yellow.
12. Mega-Garlic - partial improvement. Temporary. Tongue turns brown. I got some bloodblisters on the "cheek-gums" where white blisters previously existed. Took a few days. But these multi-month whit cheek blisters actually healed. This one probably works if you're willing to follow it through for a month.
13. Coconut Oil. Partial Success. Assuming it's candida, I will say that this kills the Aeorbic form, and not the Anerobic form. Some of the white stuff instantly disappears, and some doesn't. Coconut oil definitely does something.
14. Vinnegar and Borax mix. This is at least as good as the coconut oil. Two anti-infectives mixed. Success is temporary, but you can prevent any infection from getting worse... at least hold it to a stalemate. There is a commercial drug that uses this (Dermapet). I don't mention the brand name to promote it, but instead to say there is science behind it, and clinical studies, which are listed on the website. On a side note... I have tried three different ACV's, Heinz, Publix, and _____s. I suspect the organic one, braggs, to have live acidophilus whereas the others which were pasteurized don't... as the braggs aftertaste lasted for 24 hours. Most of the white stuff disappears, some of it doesn't.
15. Potassium Iodide(KI) - placed a 64 mg ki pill on the white area of the gum, that wasn't cured by the ACV/Borax mix... cured that area... I'm thinking that's the anerobic form of candida.
16. Providone - once per day - does something. Also turns toungue brown.
************
In progress:
17. Providone/Borax mix. The comparable drug is by Frio Technologies. This has clinical trials ongoing, with success on Gingivitis, and ongoing testing for Thrush. Whereas Providone turns your tongue brown, this mix doesn't.
18. Providone - 6x per day. Started this a week ago. I've seen zero yeast in my mouth for a week. Got the blood-blister effect like the garlic (without being smellY). Seen no yeast in my mouth for a week. 1/2 of the top of my tongue turned dark brown. Seems to be scabbing up and healing. No need for the tongue scraper any more. I think I have a cure, but need more time (wait for the scabs to heal).
*****
A healthy mouth has 600 different bacteria plus fungus's, virus's, protozoa. Perhaps the definition of healthy mouth is flawed. Something is broken in mine. We'll see if I can fix it. Current Regimin is Coconut oil plus Providone(Iodine).
Iodine supposedly kills 90% of bacteria, disolves starches(yeast), and metals. If you are iodine deficient, which I may be(2 billion people are (WHO), this may help. Bacteria and yeast may reproduce quick so doseage may be small, but frequent(ie every couple hours).
****
I believe I have a cure, but need more time. Will re-post in 1 week or 2.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Freya (Plymouth, England) on 06/06/2009
White coating on tongue: I tried all of the remedies suggested on this page and none of them worked! I was wondering if it meant baking powder of bicarbonate of soda? Anyway, completely by accident I discovered that if you put a pea sized amount of special tooth and gum toothpaste for treating gum disease on your tongue for a minute, it will give a pink tongue for the day! This is only temporary and it tastes yucky, but it is simple and easy.
EC: In the USA, we call bicarbonate of soda (and not baking powder) "Baking Soda".
Salt
Posted by Tami (RDU, North Carolina) on 05/28/2009
I would like to say that I too had a white tongue for over 10 years. I hated it and I was unaware that it smelled. I brushed several times a day, flossed twice a day, and used my tongue scraper. When I asked doctors about it they said that it was normal for some people to have a white tongue. Recently I got fed up with it and the only tongue a person should settle for is a PINK tongue. I read a post here and I tried sea salt on my tongue for 5 mins and then used my tongue scraper... I actually saw some pick coming through. Then I tried 1 part sea salt, 1 part hydrogen peroxide, 1 part glycerin, and 1 part water and used my tongue brush with this solution until I saw more and more PINK. I was so excited!!! I was about to go to another doctor's appointment until I found this. Thank you all for your posts. I finally got rid of the dreaded white tongue monster!!!
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Jack (NYC, New York) on 05/22/2009
How do you do with charcoal. Can you please tell more detail or procedure how to use.
Salt
Posted by Kevin (Temecula, Ca) on 05/21/2009
★★★★★
Work amazingly!! regular table salt will do! put it on my tongue for about 40 seconds, then brushed with salt on my toothbruush three times and boom, most of the white coat was gone!! great remedy!! im excited!
Salt
Posted by Michelle (Warwick, Warwickshire, UK) on 05/19/2009
★★★★★
Cure A White Coating on the Tongue:
Never felt compelled to leave feedback on a website before but was so impressed by how quickly salt worked ridding my tongue of its horrid white coating, I just had to! Saw this posted, and as it was such a cheap and easy remedy I thought should give it a go. Unfortunately the experience of spreading around 1/2 teaspoon salt on my tongue wasn't pleasant (could barely stop mysef from gagging) but after gargling with salt water, then brushing salt on my tongue with a toothbrush, it was gone! A normal healthy looking pink tongue at last! And long may it last..
Oil Pulling
Posted by Andrew (Wilmington, USA) on 05/05/2009
★★★★★
I just tried using the sesame seed oil...20 minutes seemed awfully long, but it seems to have worked. The only downside was holding it in for 20 minutes, and preventing myself from throwing up. The texture and taste was...well, not good.
Salt
Posted by Maria (New York, New York) on 05/05/2009
★★★★★
I just tried the salt remedy and by go lie it worked liked a charm. I gargled with sea salt and water twice and then grinded the salt onto my brush and cleaned my tongue 3 times than gargled again. Tip for those that are having trouble reaching the back of your tongue, there is a round brush I use that is made specifically for cleaning the tongue and can be found at your local chain store it has a round head and a small hole in the middle, looks like a mini doughnut on a stick is the best way to describe it, it should be in the toothbrush isle. Well with this brush I was able to reach the back of my tongue with no problem.
Salt
Posted by Cara (Philly, PA) on 04/23/2009
Hi Jan, Whatever you do, PLEASE DO NOT resort to having your tonsils or uvula removed to get rid of your tonsil stones. I did just that in January 08 and here it is a year and a half later and I'm still suffering for it. Because of the operation, I developed LPR (acid reflux of the mouth instead of the chest). My mouth is dry 24 hours a day, I have a permanently coated white tongue, nothing but air in my mouth (no taste inside), and can no longer eat any of my favorite foods because my throat will immediately close up and my mouth will be dry for months. I drink only water all day long and that helps for maybe 2 seconds and then I'm bone-dry again. I'm on this website because the coating on my tongue has gotten worse.
It is the biggest regret of my life, because you can't run away from the feeling inside your mouth. It's awful, so please do not consider it. Live with the tonsil balls and cough them out as much as possible and keep up really great oral hygiene. Trust me, as much as I hated those tonsil balls, I'd sell my soul to have them back now.
Good luck! Email back if you have questions.
Water
Posted by John (El Paso, TX) on 04/23/2009
I'm going to try the sea-salt, but something else I've read on the internet is that it may be related to a candida fungus yeast infection, that apparently ____ is really good for (you can google it to find out where you can get it). The SEA-Salt may work temporarily (meaning you have to continue to do it every day -- or multiple times a day to fight off the symtoms) but we may have to fight it at the source.
