Dr Amarnathan’s Dental Care

Have you noticed half-circle dents on the side of your tongue? This condition is known as scalloped tongue. Tongues with rippled or scalloped edges are also referred to as  crenated tongue, wavy tongue, pie crust tongue, and lingua indentata. Aside from the wavy surface on the tongue's borders, there is pain, tenderness, and a slight redness on the tongue.

Such tongue indentations indicate a variety of congenital and systemic disorders. Continue reading .

Scallop tongue is most commonly seen in people who have parafunctional habits such as pressing the tongue against teeth, sucking cheeks, and others that cause long-term oral complications. Similarly, tongue inflammation is most likely related to this problem.

You might be aware that some genetically inherited conditions cause inflammation in your tongue. They are also responsible for the wavy tongue edges. The important congenital disorders to emphasise include:

 1) Apert syndrome.

 2) Congenital Hypothyroidism.

 3) Down Syndrome 

 4) TMJ Disorder

 

If your body lacks any of the following mineral compounds, you are more likely to develop scalloped edges on your tongue.

 1) Iron

 2) Vitamin-12

 3) Niacin

 4) Riboflavin 

Sleep disorders, also known as obstructive sleep apnea, occur when the airways become blocked, causing breathing interruptions while sleeping.it causes people to rub their tongues against their teeth while sleeping, resulting in tongue scalloping. 

If a person's thyroid glands are not functioning properly, the body will not receive enough thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism is the clinical term for this condition. It alters the body's metabolic rate and causes issues such as tongue inflammation, crenated tongue, obesity, low blood pressure, and so on.

Systemic diseases and allergic conditions, like hypothyroidism and certain hereditary disorders, are thought to cause swollen tongues and tongue indentations. Below are a few of them.

    Amyloidosis

    Angioedema

    Tuberculosis

    Lipoid proteinosis

    Multiple myeloma

    Neurofibromatosis

    Sarcoidosis

    Certain types of cancer

Proper diagnosis identifies the underlying medical condition, allowing for the development of appropriate treatment plans.

For example, if thyroid hormone deficiency is the primary cause of tongue scalloping, the patient should receive thyroid hormone replacement therapy. They have the ability to reverse the negative effects of Hypothyroidism, such as scallop tongue.

If birth defects, inflammatory or infiltrative medical conditions cause a tongue to appear ruffled or indented, surgical procedures may be required to change the tongue shape and size.

It implies that treating the underlying conditions that cause tongue scalloping can help eliminate riddled or wavy tongue edges. The most likely medical treatments for scalloped tongue are:

    Anti-inflammatory medications

    Immunosuppressants

    Nasal dilators

    Sleep apnea treatments like CPAP machine

    Stress management

    Mouthguards

    Bite Splints

Want to learn more about how to get rid of lateral borders in your tongue?

Simply read the full blog here:  https://www.dramarnathansdentalcare.com/scalloped-tongue/