(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
ROBERTA Santos just went viral.
And found out that she is not alone – 8.2 million views and 4,000 comments later on her TikTok page.
The girl from Ibiraçu, north of Espírito Santo, has generated a support group among people with a similar predicament, a health condition known as geographical language.
Roberta now has 20,000 new followers. BBC Brasil calls Roberta probably the first “geographical language influencer”.
“It’s very unexplored,’’ she says although she now realizes ‘’it’s much more common than it sounds.”
“One of the most needed videos of my life,’’ read one comment to her video. ‘’I never understood why my language was what it was.” Another comment, “I found out there’s a name for it. I thought I bit my tongue when I slept.”
Roberta cried when one comment observed she didn’t know what it was and found out because of the TikTok video.
‘’What it was’’ is geographical language. A day after Roberta uploaded her video, Brazilians searched “geographical language” on Google an unprecedented number of times.
It is described to BBC Brasil by dentist Helenice Biancalana, Director of Prevention and Health Promotion at the São Paulo Association of Dental Surgeons (APCD) as a condition that many people don’t know about.
A survey conducted by the APCD faculty showed that up to 6 million Brazilians or between 2 percent and 3 percent of the country have geographical language.
“The population is still not educated enough about oral health, do self-examination, observe the mouth daily and seek a professional. The diagnosis must be made by the dentist,” Dr. Biancalana told BBC Brasil.
Geographic language is a non-severe condition that dentists call migratory erythema or migratory glossitis.
It’s termed “migratory” because the lesions on the tongue have different looks, duration and location. The lesions appear on one part of the tongue for a time then disappear and appear on another side of the tongue.
The “geographic” term is not much that the lesions move but rather the condition appears like “maps” on the tongue surface.
It may be cause by stress, anxiety and a very acidic diet.
The American Academy of Oral Medicine says the cause is uncertain. It could be skin conditions, allergies, hormonal disorders and genetics although Roberta doesn’t know any one in her family with the same condition. Her parents recall the condition appeared when Roberta was a baby.
What Roberta knows is that a burning perhaps painful sensation occurs when she consumes very acidic drinks or food. So she avoids citrus drinks like lemon and orange and foods that are spicy and that’s just been cooked and still hot.
“It’s not a disease,’’ says Dr. Biancalana. ‘’It’s can be temporary or permanent.”
By the way, it’s not contagious. And it does not cause bad breath.
When meeting other people who notice the condition, Roberta explains it’s not transmitted by close contact and they should not be afraid.
“This is a condition that affects the tongue, which causes these reliefs. It’s not a question of hygiene. Sometimes it burns, it changes its appearance all over day, but it doesn’t pass to anyone. It’s just mine.
‘’I was never ashamed and I never stopped to think about the size of the problem that geographical language can be for a person,” she tells BBC Brasil. “People talked to me in private about the shame they felt and the prejudice they themselves had about them. I tried to talk to them about it.”
“The tongue can cause bad breath if it is not properly sanitized. What can happen in cases of people with a geographic tongue is that, due to sensitivity, they are not able to brush their tongue properly. Therefore, it is important to seek professional guidance on oral hygiene,” Dr. Biancalana explains.
People with geographical language should use a soft brush, be careful not to cause bleeding, and always make sweeping movements from the highest point to the tip, the dentist tells BBC Brasil. ‘’The use of non-alcoholic mouthwash can complete the cleaning.’’
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; and Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
