Duration
The duration of tongue coating depends on the individual disease. If only very harmless food is used, the coating can disappear again within a few days. If, however, a fungal infection or other disease accompanies it, the coating lasts as long as the disease persists. This can last from one week to several months, an exact time cannot be given here, since it is completely individually from patient to patient differently. In general, however, a doctor should be consulted if home remedies fail and the coating on the tongue lasts longer than 2 weeks.
Diagnosis
An important diagnostic tool here is the gaze diagnosis. The (dentist) takes a very close look at the tongue and the plaque and decides which type of plaque and disease is involved in the individual case on the basis of anamnesis, color and some other factors. Important information in this regard is the length of time, i.e. since when the plaque has been present, whether other symptoms such as tongue burning occur, or which previous illnesses exist.
In addition, the patient’s diet and smoking habits also play a major role. If no exact cause can be determined in this way, a smear or blood test is important for further diagnosis and therapy.
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