Black hairy tongue is produced when the papilla (finger-like
projections from the surface of the tongue) fail to fall off as
they normally do. As the length of the papilla increase, debris
collects and bacteria grow, producing the characteristic dark
"furry" appearance.
Review Date: 03/03/2009
Reviewed By: James L. Demetroulakos, MD, FACS, Department of Otolaryngology,
North Shore Medical Center, Salem, MA. Clinical Instructor in
Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School. Review provided by
VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA,
Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
