What Is Black Hairy Tongue?
3. What Causes Black Hairy Tongue?
Black hairy tongue is caused by overgrowth and buildup of bacteria or yeast in the mouth that collects on the tongue. Since the tongue contains many papillae that continuously shed under normal conditions, the overgrowth causes the papillae to continue to add length, giving them a hair-like appearance.
The same bacteria or yeast overgrowth also leads to the discoloration of the tongue that helps identify this syndrome.
As the papillae lengthen, they begin to trap food particles and lead to additional bacteria and yeast overgrowth, which perpetuates the problem. Trapped bacteria and food particles can lead to the symptoms of bad breath and metallic taste.
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