Why do some people have wavy tongue edges?

Do you notice half-circle dents on the side of your tongue? This condition is called scalloped tongue. Tongues with such rippled or scalloped edges are also known as crenated tongue, wavy tongue, pie crust tongue, and lingua indentata. Aside from the wavy surface on the tongue’s borders, it is accompanied by pain, tenderness, and slight redness of the tongue.

Such tongue indentations are warning signs of various congenital disorders and systemic diseases. Continue reading for more information about the ruffled-looking tongues.

What makes your tongue appear indented (or) scalloped?

Mostly, scallop tongue occurs in people who have parafunctional habits like pressing the tongue against teeth, sucking cheeks, and others that cause long-term oral complications Likewise, tongue inflammation is also most likely associated with this problem.

Besides these, numerous factors contribute to developing scalloped edges on the tongue. Here are a few:

1) Birth defects

You might know some genetically inherited conditions inflame your tongue. They are also responsible for wavy tongue edges. The important congenital disorders to emphasize are:

• Apert Syndrome
• Congenital Hypothyroidism
• Down Syndrome
• TMJ Disorder

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) is the joint that connects the lower jaw and skull. When there is any dysfunction due to misalignment in the jaw, TMJ disorder will occur. It forces the tongue to strive hard to keep the lower in place. In that circumstance, thrusting of the tongue against teeth is inevitable. It ends in making rounded half-circle indentations along the tongue’s outermost surfaces.

2) Nutritional Deficiencies

Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies are also responsible for scallop tongue. If your body does not get any of the following mineral compounds, you will be susceptible to develop scalloped edges on your tongue:

• Iron
• Vitamin-12
• Niacin
• Riboflavin

3) Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders, also known as obstructive sleep apnea happens due to blockage in the airways, causing interruptions in breaths while sleeping. It forces the victims to breathe through their noses. It contributes to various oral complications like dry mouth, tooth decay, bad breath, etc.

Likewise, it causes people to rub their tongues on teeth while sleeping and develop tongue scalloping.

4) Lack of thyroid hormones

If a person’s thyroid glands do not function properly, the body will not get sufficient thyroid hormones. This condition is clinically called Hypothyroidism. It affects the body’s metabolic rate and provokes problems like tongue inflammation, crenated tongue, obesity, low blood pressure, etc.

5) Other inflammatory conditions

Similar to Hypothyroidism and certain hereditary disorders, various systemic diseases and allergic conditions are supposed to cause swollen tongues through which tongue indentations occur. Here are a few:

• Amyloidosis
• Angioedema
• Tuberculosis
• Lipoid proteinosis
• Multiple myeloma
• Neurofibromatosis
• Sarcoidosis
• Certain types of cancer

How do dentists diagnose the underlying cause of crenated tongue?

Even though scallop tongue does not affect the tongue’s functionalities, you should seek medical attention immediately. It is because the wavy indentations in the tongue are interrelated to a myriad of disorders.

Apart from assessing the tongue and additional symptoms, a series of tests is required to pinpoint the underlying problem. In certain cases, the diagnosis requires:

• Biopsy Test
• Blood Test
• CT Scan
• X-rays
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

What are the treatment options available to get rid of scallop tongue?

With proper diagnosis, the underlying medical condition is identified so that the right treatment plans can be made.

For instance, if thyroid hormone deficiency is the root cause of tongue scalloping, the patient should get thyroid hormone replacement therapy. It involves medications like Levothroid, Synthroid, etc. They are powerful to reverse the damaging effects like scallop tongue triggered by Hypothyroidism.

If birth defects, inflammatory or infiltrated medical conditions make a tongue looks ruffled or indented, surgical procedures might be required to change the tongue shape and size.

It implies that treating the underlying conditions responsible for tongue scalloping helps to get rid of riddled or wavy tongue edges. The potential medical treatments that are most likely to treat scalloped tongue include:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Immunosuppressants
• Nasal dilators
• Sleep apnea treatments like CPAP machine
• Stress management
• Mouthguards
• Bite Splints

Taking highly healthy foods, drinking enough water, and avoiding dangerous habits like smoking, are also helpful in fixing scallop tongue to some extent.

Want to know more about the treatments to get rid of lateral borders in your tongue? Call our Tambaram dental clinic at +91 9445772255 to schedule your appointment with our dentists today.