Black hairy tongue

Black hairy tongue is an acquired benign condition characterized by the appearance of hypertrophied and elongated filamentous papillae on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

lingua villosa nigra, according to the American Academy of Oral Medicine, is a harmless condition and occurs in about 13 percent of the population.

It also occurs in childhood, but in adulthood, the disease is diagnosed much more often.

A significant role in the development of the disease is assigned to infectious, trophic and physico-chemical factors.

According to Indian dermatologists, black hairy tongue is more common in people who adhere to a puree-like diet, and is formed due to insufficient abrasion or stimulation of the upper part of the tongue, which leads to the accumulation of a protein called keratin. As a result, the conical protrusions covering the tongue, called filamentous papillae, become long and form a kind of hair on the upper part of the tongue.

Predisposing factors in the development of a black hairy tongue are smoking, excessive consumption of coffee or strong black tea, an unsatisfactory level of hygiene, trigeminal neuralgia, general exhaustion of the body, penicillins and tetracyclines, alcoholism.