The cracked tongue, also called a cracked tongue, is a benign alteration characterized by the presence of several cuts in the tongue that do not cause signs or symptoms, however when the tongue is not cleaned properly, there is an increased risk of infections, mainly by the fungus Candida albicans, and there may also be mild pain from burns and bad breath.
The cracked tongue has no specific cause and therefore there is no specific treatment, it is only recommended that the person have good oral hygiene, brush his or her teeth regularly, floss and clean the tongue very well to remove the rest of the food that may have accumulated in the cracks and allow the development of microorganisms , which cause problems such as bad breath or gingivitis, for example. Learn how to perform good oral hygiene.
- The cracked tongue does not give rise to any symptoms or characteristic signs other than the presence of several cracks in the tongue that may be between 2 and 6 mm deep.
However, some people report feeling pain or burns when eating spicy, salty or acidic foods and may have bad breath due to the accumulation of food scraps inside the cracks, which promotes the growth of fungi and bacteria inside the mouth.
The cracked tongue is considered a characteristic of the person, there is no specific type of treatment, it is only recommended to pay more attention to oral hygiene, to prevent the accumulation of fungi or bacteria in the cracks, which can cause oral diseases, such as thrush. or gingivitis, for example. Learn to recognize the symptoms of oral thrush and how treatment is performed.
For example, it is recommended to brush your teeth and tongue each time after eating, as well as check for food residues inside the cracks, thus avoiding infections that can cause pain, burns and bad breath.
The cracked tongue does not have a specific cause being a genetic characteristic of the person, so it can be observed from childhood, although it tends to be accentuated with aging.
The people most affected are those with Down syndrome, psoriasis or a syndrome such as Sjogren’s syndrome, Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome or acromegaly, for example. In addition, people who have a geographical language, that is, when taste buds become more obvious, forming a kind of “map” in the language, tend to also have cracked tongues.