The tongue is seventeen very powerful muscles to participate in chewing and swallowing. It is traversed by a very dense network of nerves, which give it its "sensitivity" to flavors, warmth, cold, texture.

It recognizes the four basic flavors - sweet to the tip; salty at its dorsal surface, in its anterior part; acidic flavors on the edges; and the bitter substances well back.

But she is also a very good indicator of our state of health.

But here, like those of Molière, our dear doctors hardly ever examine our language seriously. Blame it on a lack of time; and even if they would take it, they would not necessarily be able to interpret its subtleties.

Language, a mirror of health

"The mouth, and the language in particular, are often the mirror of health, explains the doctor Didier Gauzeran, odontologist of the Hospitals of Paris.

There are many at-risk lesions that, if detected much earlier, would surely save many lives. Remember that France is the second country in the world, just after India, by its rate of oral cancer, because of the association of tobacco and alcohol. The latter amplifies by six the impact of the cigarette. The association is disastrous. Nevertheless, the serious lesions remain minority in front of the dermatologic, infectious or sexually transmitted sores of the language. "

So, at least once a year, you consult a dentist. Thus, "the generalist of the mouth", can direct us if necessary towards one of his confreres, informed specialist of the question.

An organ of all colors

The tongue is usually red, with some discreetly white areas due to the presence of many taste buds. It is different from the lining of the inside of the cheeks, uniformly pink.

Charged, or "saburrale" as described by specialists, it can reveal overeating : meal particularly watered, too rich in fat, low in fiber, poorly digested; but it can also attest to febrile illnesses (scarlet fever, herpes ...).

The remedy for the laden tongue after excess food is the diet. It can also be brushed with tongue scrapers.

Brown, it indicates the smoking of the subject, a pronounced taste for tea or coffee, or the presence of fungal infection.

Red and congestive, it can testify to local inflammation (glossitis). Red and slightly shiny in the elderly, as a "cardinal" tongue, it can signal vitamin B12 deficiency. Some nutritional deficits (in vegetarians, for example) may be the cause of a smooth tongue.

The lining of the tongue may even lose its soft, fresh and moist appearance, and kératiniser, that is to say, harden (a little like the soles of the feet), because of tobacco, mechanical irritation or dermatoses, like the lichen plan.

Sensitive to stress

Some languages ​​can become "geographical" : this is a sign that the taste buds have disappeared.

Suddenly, the red under the taste buds reappears. These areas "depopulated" are more sensitive to irritants (spices, heat, etc.) and also more fragile.

"We still do not know the reasons for this phenomenon," explains Didier Gauzeran, "some areas spontaneously repaparate, while others are dislodged.We are talking in this case of" migratory exfoliative glossitis "because it moves on the tongue.

Healing can be spontaneous. But it remains random and extremely variable, with a strong psychosomatic component, as if the various problems of the person came to nestle on his tongue. It is especially women after their forties, often menopausal, who suffer from it, with a depressive note .

They consult for a language that burns (glossodynia), and often we find this geographical mapping.

Stress is sometimes expressed by psoriasis of the tongue , visually close to geographical languages. It can also cause the multiplication of canker sores, the appearance (or the return) of a herpes or the presence of a lichen

The mouth, a fragile ecological balance

If the saliva is completely sterile, the mouth is not. It is composed of a number of bacteria and fungi that live in symbiosis. But the "ecology" of this environment is easily threatened. Antibiotics and corticosteroids can destroy or favor certain strains and then allow the multiplication of others, with the appearance of candidiasis of the tongue (fungi)

Excessive hygiene can lead to the same result: " Antiplate mouthwashes, supposed to improve brushing, do not serve much purpose ," says Dr. Gauzeran, " It's better to wash your teeth carefully three times a day because medicated mouth with antiseptics ruin the local ecology. "

These solutions, prescribed by the practitioner, are only useful in case of pathology of the mouth (infectious gingivitis, stomatitis, herpes, aphtosis, candidiasis ...) or after surgery - for a week, no more. They should not be used without medical advice.