I am a child care provider of a nine month old baby who has had a greyish/black coating on her tongue for at least two months now is it normal or should I continue expressing concern about it to her parents.  She didnt get the discoloration until after she had an ear infection and was put on antibiotics, however that was about 2 months ago...she still pulls and tugs on her ears too! Parents said dr. wont give her antibiotics anymore!?
Hi. Welcome to Chat Doctor . I have gone through your query and can understand your concerns. As per your complaint it seems that blackish or grayish discoloration on the tongue of 9-month-old is most commonly due to poor oral hygiene maintenance that leads to abundant deposits of food debris and also bacteria and fungal overgrowth over the tongue leading to formation of a dark coating over the tongue. It is a condition called Black Hairy Tongue. It is however harmless and can be gradually removed if proper oral hygiene and cleaning of tongue is done. You should start cleaning her tongue using a soft toothbrush. Give her solid foods to eat. Use a tongue scraper to gently clean her tongue. Feed with plenty of water. If she tugs and pulls her ear again and again then there must be probably infection still present in ear and for this consult a Pediatrician and get evaluated and get a proper ear examination done so that she can be advised antibiotics oral as well as ear Chat Doctor. . Hope this information helps. Thanks and regards.