A 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 increases, debris
collects and bacteria grow, producing the characteristic dark
"furry" appearance. This can be associated with antibiotic use.
Review Date: 03/05/2011
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine; and Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH, Otolaryngologist, Virginia
Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. 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)
