What Is Hairy Tongue?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
2. Filiform Papillae
Take a look at your tongue in the mirror and you will see that the surface is not completely smooth. It has a slightly rough texture and this is caused by lingual papillae. These are small structures on the surface of the tongue and there are 4 different types. 3 of these are associated with our sense of taste.
Filiform papillae are those not associated with taste, but they do give our tongues their sense of touch. These small growths will usually fall off after a while and be replaced with fresh papillae. Sometimes, however, they continue to grow and they can reach as long as 18mm in some cases. They can become discolored, and this can result in the appearance of hair growing on the tongue.
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