2023-12-29 09:43:25
December 29, 2023
Is the black, “hairy” tongue in people who smoke cigarettes or even those who vape a reality? Without prolonging the suspense any longer, this famous smoker’s or “vaping” language is above all fantasized, as Professor Jean-Christophe Fricain, head of the oral medicine consultation at Bordeaux University Hospital, assures us.
Oral mycoses and tobacco, information or poisoning?
The repercussions on the development of mycoses or the oral balance of the consumption of traditional cigarettes, if they exist, are minor. In my opinion, this information is unfounded. What favors oral mycoses is mainly immunosuppression, whether due to medications, an acquired or constitutional disease. Oral mycoses are mainly linked to Candida type yeasts. Specifically, the main risk factor for developing candidiasis (mycosis due to Candida, editor’s note) is the use of medications such as local corticosteroids, used for example in the treatment of asthma. So while smoking or vaping can potentially change the oral microbiota, that doesn’t mean it will lead to yeast infections.
Does what we call “black tongue” among smokers really exist?
Black tongue (lingua villosa or lingua nigra) is not a mycosis: it is caused by bacteria which are not fungi. The surface of the tongue takes on a dark, black or brownish tint. This condition is often associated with a buildup of dead cells, bacteria, and debris on the papillae of the tongue. These so-called chromogenic bacteria (which have the capacity to produce pigments, editor’s note), can contribute to the coloring of the tongue.
Several factors favor the appearance of the “black language”, including tobacco and coffee; by depositing residue on the tongue, they color it.
Is it different from tobacco melanosis?
Yes. Tobacco can cause a brownish discoloration of the mucous membrane, called oral or tobacco melanosis. It is actually pigmentation: it is the response of melanocytes, the skin cells which synthesize melanin, to the aggressiveness of the smoke. This induces the production of melanin, a pigment similar to the reaction to the sun. However, this pigmentation remains marginal.
Source: Interview with Professor Jean-Christophe Fricain, head of the oral medicine consultation at Bordeaux University Hospital
Written by: Hélène Joubert – Edited by Emmanuel Ducreuzet
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