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MENTAL MODEL · M2949

Teeth-Marked Tongue

Teeth-Marked Tongue
BehaviorHigh supportOrganizational Behavior
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Updated 2026-08-03

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

In traditional Chinese medicine tongue diagnosis, a teeth-marked tongue shows scalloped indentations along the edges where the teeth have pressed into an enlarged tongue body. It is classically read as spleen qi deficiency with dampness: the spleen fails to transform and transport fluids, the tongue becomes swollen and soft, and the teeth leave impressions. The sign carries diagnostic weight only when it persists and appears alongside other symptoms such as fatigue, loose stools, or heaviness.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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- Fluid Map: Read the tongue as a coastline whose marks show where dampness has swollen the tissue. - Pattern Check: Pair the marks with fatigue or loose stools before calling it spleen deficiency. - Treatment Cue: Point toward strengthening the spleen and draining dampness instead of treating symptoms only.

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When the spleen's transforming and transporting function weakens, fluids accumulate and the tongue body swells. A larger tongue presses against the teeth, which leave impressions along its edges, while retained moisture keeps the tissue soft and pale. The marks are therefore an indirect readout of internal fluid balance rather than a disorder of the tongue itself.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    s.dayi.org.cnhttps://s.dayi.org.cn/mip/s/symptom/1153023.htmlZH · Explicit
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