Mouth Diseases

Tongue

05/14/2008 12:42AM

Question:

I have several sores or bumps that are bubble-like near the front of my tongue. There are tons of small ones directly on the tip then about 1/2 inch in there are 20 or 30 bigger flat tops pink-red bubbles. They have been worsening over 6 months and I have changed toothpastes because i thought it was an allergy however the problem persists. Any ideas?

Answer:

What you are describing sounds like the fungiform papillae of the dorsal tongue. These are normal structures that can be found on everyone's tongue, although the size and number of these structures vary from person to person. It is unlikely that they are increasing in number, but you may be more aware of their presence. Occasionally one of these little bumps gets scraped accidentally, resulting in a painful lesion that usually lasts for 2-4 days. In some Southern states, these are known as "lie bumps", because supposedly people who lie will get one as punishment. If you want the diagnosis confirmed, then you should make an appointment to see an oral pathologist.

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Response by:

Carl M. Allen, DDS, MSD
Professor & Director, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology
Dental Faculty Practice
Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University