mouth and dental disorders
Tongue Discoloration and Other Changes
Tongue color changes
The tongue's papillae (tiny, rounded projections) may become discolored if a person smokes or chews tobacco, eats certain foods or vitamins, or has colored bacteria growing on the tongue. Black discoloration on the top of the tonguemay occur if a person takes bismuth preparations for an upset stomach. Brushing the tongue with a toothbrush or scraping it with a tongue scraper can remove such discoloration. A smallblue-black discolorationon the underside of the tongue may be a tattoo caused by a fragment of dental amalgam filling material, which contains silver, becoming stuck in the tongue. can be caused by Iron Deficiency Anemia or by pernicious anemia, which is caused by a may be the first sign of scarlet fever or, in a child, a sign of Kawasaki Disease or and painful mouth may indicate general inflammation of the tongue (glossitis) or be caused by pellagra, a type of undernutrition caused by a Niacin Deficiency (vitamin B3) in the diet. 