Bacteria can accumulate on pretty much any surface of your mouth. They prefer to attach themselves to rough surfaces, so the teeth and gum line are particularly prone to plaque accumulation. Did you know that the surface of your tongue is rough, containing thousands of papilla, also known as taste buds, that cause the top surface of your tongue to contain many crevices, a perfect spot for bacteria to hide? If you don’t brush or clean your tongue, you may not even realize how much plaque accumulation it can be prone to. Once you start cleaning your tongue, you may never go back!
Signs and symptoms of plaque accumulation on the tongue
- White/beige or yellow coating on the top surface of the tongue
- Altered or reduced sense of taste
- Bad breath, called halitosis
- Bad taste in the mouth