There can be several causes for your tongue to turn white. The first thing you should be aware of is that there is no change of color as far as your tongue is concerned. The white you see on the tongue is a surface product only. The primary cause of a white tongue is extreme and severe indigestion. If you are eating irregularly, and are concentrating on food that is not naturally rich in nutrients required by the body and is instead rich only in fat and lard, you will find that the color of your tongue will change to reflect this. A clear and clean digestive system is easily reflected on the tongue. As a matter of fact, some ancient cultural medical practices actually come to conclusive diagnoses after looking at the tongue alone. In order to get rid of this particular problem, you need to change your dietary habits a bit. You should add green leafy vegetables to your diet, which will aid in improving your digestive system to a very large extent. You should also make it a point to drink a glass of hot water first thing when you wake up. This will facilitate clear motions and will help to clear your insides as well.
Another common reason for the tongue to turn white is that it has not been cleaned properly. If your problem arises due to this reason, you will also notice a foul odor that accompanies your white tongue. While there are always superficial ways of cleaning a tongue that has turned white due to these reasons such as using a mouthwash, you would need to tackle the problem slightly differently. You need to hunt for a decent tongue cleaner. This is an easily available product over the counter in almost all pharmacies. If you find that your area does not stock this, you can also opt for toothbrushes that come equipped with a tongue cleaner on the back of the brush. These are mere abrasions that can help to clear out your tongue if used to scrub out the tongue. The basic thing you need to do is scrub out your tongue so that the whiteness, which is actually a residue, can be removed effectively. You should also get into the habit of rinsing out your mouth with water after each meal. This will automatically help towards maintaining good oral hygiene, without you having to put in more effort.