What the Color of Your Tongue Can Tell You About Your Health

Say ahhh.

Man with glasses with his tongue out
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You wake up, brush your teeth, give yourself a smile, and notice there’s some weird coloring or texture on your tongue that definitely doesn’t seem normal. WTF?

Yes, it's unexpected — but don't freak out. “I have had patients that noticed a color change on the tongue and Googled what it means, and scared themselves silly by finding really dangerous conditions, when the real cause was that they took a medication for an upset stomach that changed the tongue color for a few hours,” says Dr. Lee Gause, DDS, founder and dentist at Smile Design Manhattan.

It turns out, lots of things (and typically harmless things!) can change the color and coating of your tongue. The thickness of the coating is correlated with the severity of the condition, according to Gause. For instance, “a grey coating can be related to Gastritis or Peptic Ulcer, while a brown coating is often correlated with lung issues,” he says.

A healthy tongue is light pink in color. If you notice yours looks different, you'll want to figure out whats going on so you can get back to normal as soon as possible. Here's a guide to what the color of your tongue means for your health, and what you should be doing about it.

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White Tongue

A thick or heavy white coating on the surface of the tongue, also known as Leukoplakia, can come from cigarette smoke or irritation to the tongue. "This is more of a coated appearance," he says. Don't mistake it for thrush, which "looks like a layer of cottage cheese on the tongue, and is often associated with diabetes or weakened immune systems."

Leukoplakia is most common in people who smoke a lot. "Smoking is never healthy, but we don't see this in social smokers," Gause says. "The problem is [when] social smokers become heavy smokers."

It may take time to notice you have the condition. “Leukoplakia builds gradually until it gets out of hand, so it may not be noticed by the patient," he adds. "That is why something seemingly obvious, like a thick white coating on the tongue may be missed, until it is seen by a dentist or doctor." Your best bet? Get routine check-ups with your doc.

Red Tongue With a "Mapped" Appearance

Does your tongue look like it's dotted with smooth little islands?

"This is called geographic tongue," Gause explains. "This is quite common and not dangerous. The tongue has red and white patterns that look like a map, hence the name." No need to worry here — while it’s unknown why it happens, it’s NBD.

Red Tip of the Tongue


Black and Hairy Tongue


“An electric toothbrush is a great add-on to help patients achieve a cleaner mouth," he adds. "Brushing of the tongue should occur every time you brush your teeth, and smokers and nonsmokers alike should use a tongue scraper, which can be bought over the counter to keep buildup off the tongue."


Yellow Tongue

This can signify liver or stomach problems, says Dr. Jon Marashi, DDS. "A yellow tongue can be the gradual start of disease, leading to a brown or black-colored tongue down the line," he says.


Brown Tongue

Usually a brown tongue comes from what you’re eating or drinking: "A brown discoloration of the tongue can be due to heavy coffee drinking and/or smoking," Marashi says. If your tongue is permanently brown, it could mean you're experiencing lung problems due to chronic smoking.

Blue or Purple Tongue


Pale Tongue




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