Black hairy tongue is an acquired benign disorder characterized by an abnormal hairy coating on the dorsal surface of the tongue. The etiology is unclear, however the disorder has been triggered with numerous predisposing conditions such as smoking, bad oral hygiene, alcohol, radiation, the use of steroid and antibiotics. In this article, hairy tongue which was thought to be caused by heavy smoking was reviewed. He was suggested to quit smoking, to use oral chlorhexidine solution, to brush dorsal surface of tongue.

Keywords: Black tongue, smoking, pharmacotherapy