A YouTuber who is also a dental hygienist has shared insights into a topic of dental hygiene that might have intrigued many of us.
When brushing our teeth, many of us might have found ourselves sticking out our tongues and examining the bumps with a mix of curiosity and slight disgust.
It’s peculiar to realize that our tongue resides in our mouths constantly without us giving it much thought.
I bet you’re suddenly much more conscious of your tongue now, aren’t you?
That brief look at the muscle known as the tongue, which is called ‘lingua’ in Latin, could reveal numerous unsettling bumps and dimples.
But what are these bumps exactly?
In a video, Teeth Talk Girl, a dental hygienist and YouTuber, explained that these bumps are called ‘papillae’ and are a typical component of our tongue’s anatomy.
However, the larger ones located at the tongue’s back are known as ‘circumvallate’.
She stated: “If you happen to stick your tongue out and you’ve never seen them before you might be like ‘what!’, because you’ve never noticed them before and they just look larger and weirder than the rest of your papillae at the front part of your tongue.
“But they are all normal they are all lined up side by side along the back of the tongue, and the circumvallate themselves house hundreds of tastebuds, so it’s good to have different sizes and types of tongue bumps.”
However, at times, there could be an issue if things appear particularly bumpy or unusual.
“These different papillae can sometimes get inflamed or infected causing them to stand out from the rest, and sometimes leading to soreness or even irritation,” she explained.
“Most of these inflamed papillae situations are temporary and they heal within a week.”
A common cause may be eating something hard or crunchy, like a tortilla chip, or accidentally biting your tongue.
The dental hygienist explained that either scenario could lead to temporary inflammation, which is usually not a concern, but there are exceptions.
She advised: “If you do have a sore bump on your tongue that lasts longer than 14 days and it’s only on one side of your tongue, then it’s probably time to visit your dentist for an exam.
“Most irregular bumps are not concerning at all if you have the same thing on both sides of your tongue.”
So, if something appears unusual and doesn’t resolve after a fortnight, it might be wise to get it checked.