Editing Tongue (section)

====Disease====
{{Main|Tongue disease}}

A [[congenital disorder]] of the tongue is that of [[ankyloglossia]] also known as ''tongue-tie''. The tongue is ''tied'' to the floor of the mouth by a very short and thickened [[Frenulum of tongue|frenulum]] and this affects speech, eating, and swallowing.

The tongue is prone to several [[pathology|pathologies]] including [[glossitis]] and other [[inflammation]]s such as [[geographic tongue]], and [[median rhomboid glossitis]]; [[burning mouth syndrome]], [[oral hairy leukoplakia]], [[oral candidiasis]] (thrush), [[black hairy tongue]], bifid tongue (due to failure in fusion of two lingual swellings of first pharyngeal arch) and [[fissured tongue]].

There are several types of [[oral cancer]] that mainly affect the tongue. Mostly these are [[squamous cell carcinoma]]s.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/index.htm | title = Oral Cancer Facts | publisher = The Oral Cancer Foundation | date = 28 August 2017 | access-date = 17 September 2017 | archive-date = 22 June 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130622051333/http://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/index.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="SCC">{{cite journal |last1=Lam |first1=L. |last2=Logan |first2=R. M. |last3=Luke |first3=C. |title=Epidemiological analysis of tongue cancer in South Australia for the 24-year period, 1977-2001 |journal=Australian Dental Journal |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=16–22 |date=March 2006 |pmid=16669472 |doi=10.1111/j.1834-7819.2006.tb00395.x|hdl=2440/22632 |url=https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/22632/1/adj_V51n1_2006_LamEpi.pdf |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Food debris, [[desquamation|desquamated]] [[epithelium|epithelial cells]] and [[bacteria]] often form a visible tongue coating.<ref name=Newman2012>{{cite book|first1= Michael G. | last1 = Newman | first2 = Henry | last2 = Takei | first3 = Perry R. | last3 = Klokkevold | first4 = Fermin A. | last4 = Carranza |title=Carranza's Clinical Periodontology |url= https://archive.org/details/carranzasclinica00newm_586 |url-access= limited |year=2012 |publisher=Elsevier/Saunders |location=St. Louis, Missouri |isbn=978-1-4377-0416-7 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/carranzasclinica00newm_586/page/n131 84]–96 |edition=11th}}</ref> This coating has been identified as a major factor contributing to [[bad breath]] (halitosis),<ref name=Newman2012 /> which can be managed by using a [[tongue cleaner]].