Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauses and PicturesKey DifferencesCan You Remove White Spots?When to See a Dentist
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes and Pictures
Key Differences
Can You Remove White Spots?
When to See a Dentist
Read on to learn more about white spots on the tongue, what they look like, and when to see a healthcare provider.
South_agency / Getty Images
Causes and Pictures of White Spots on Tongue
White spots on thetonguemay be from aninfection, illness, or another cause. Explore what these spots look like and identifies the underlying illness or cause.
Geographic Tongue
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from © DermNet dermnetnz.org 2023
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet dermnetnz.org 2023
Hairy Leukoplakia
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Professor Deborah Greenspan dermnetnz.org 2023
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Professor Deborah Greenspan dermnetnz.org 2023
Oral Lichen Planus
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Raimo Suhonen dermnetnz.org 2023
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Raimo Suhonen dermnetnz.org 2023
Orallichen planusis a condition that causes white, lacey patches in the tongue or any area in the mouth. It may cause no other symptoms or may be painful with sores and redness.
Syphilis on Tongue
Syphilisis a commonsexually transmitted infection(STI). It can cause sores calledchancres. These may be present in the mouth. As the condition progresses it develops white patches in the mouth and tongue.
Oral Thrush
Tunatura / Getty Images
Canker Sore
4kodiak / Getty Images
Leukoplakia
Public Domain Image
Leukoplakia is a white spot or patch in the oral cavity and can occur on the tongue. This spot or patch is not easily scraped off. It can be a precancerous condition and may progress to cancer. Your risks are increased if you smoke, use smokeless tobacco, or use alcohol heavily.
White Spots, Patches, and Bumps: Key Differences
When someone has awhite spot, patch, or bump on their tongue or mouth, it is important to note the characteristics and other symptoms seen and felt with these changes.
White areas may be localized, only in one small spot, or can cover large areas of the tongue or mouth. It may also have open sores that causepain, tenderness, or stinging.
The underlying condition causing the symptoms will mark the key differences between what people see or experience.
Can You Remove White Spots on Tongue at Home?
Tongue scrapersand toothbrushes are often used to removewhite coatingsof food debris and bacteria from the tongue. A 2022 study found that tongue scrapers were just as effective as toothbrushes in improving mouth odor and removing white tongue coatings.
Adentistcan evaluate white spots on the tongue and mouth and develop a treatment plan personalized to your needs.
You should see a dentist if you have any white spots, patches, or bumps in your mouth or tongue that do not go away or worsen. If you’re experiencing any of the below symptoms along with white areas in your mouth, you should contact your healthcare provider:
A Word From VerywellWhite spots on the tongue can be confusing. When in doubt, seek help from your dentist. Come prepared with an organized timeline of when this started, has it changed, and what makes it better or worse.—BRIAN T. LUONG, DMD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
White spots on the tongue can be confusing. When in doubt, seek help from your dentist. Come prepared with an organized timeline of when this started, has it changed, and what makes it better or worse.—BRIAN T. LUONG, DMD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
White spots on the tongue can be confusing. When in doubt, seek help from your dentist. Come prepared with an organized timeline of when this started, has it changed, and what makes it better or worse.
—BRIAN T. LUONG, DMD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Summary
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Thrush - children and adults.DermNet.Geographic tongue.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Oral hairy leukoplakia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lichen planus.Penn Medicine.Syphilis.National Healthcare Service.Mouth ulcers.Canadian Cancer Society.Precancerous conditions of the mouth.Choi HN, Cho YS, Koo JW.The effect of mechanical tongue cleaning on oral malodor and tongue coating.IJERPH. 2021;19(1):108. doi:10.3390%2Fijerph19010108
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Thrush - children and adults.DermNet.Geographic tongue.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Oral hairy leukoplakia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lichen planus.Penn Medicine.Syphilis.National Healthcare Service.Mouth ulcers.Canadian Cancer Society.Precancerous conditions of the mouth.Choi HN, Cho YS, Koo JW.The effect of mechanical tongue cleaning on oral malodor and tongue coating.IJERPH. 2021;19(1):108. doi:10.3390%2Fijerph19010108
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Thrush - children and adults.DermNet.Geographic tongue.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Oral hairy leukoplakia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lichen planus.Penn Medicine.Syphilis.National Healthcare Service.Mouth ulcers.Canadian Cancer Society.Precancerous conditions of the mouth.Choi HN, Cho YS, Koo JW.The effect of mechanical tongue cleaning on oral malodor and tongue coating.IJERPH. 2021;19(1):108. doi:10.3390%2Fijerph19010108
MedlinePlus.Thrush - children and adults.
DermNet.Geographic tongue.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Oral hairy leukoplakia.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lichen planus.
Penn Medicine.Syphilis.
National Healthcare Service.Mouth ulcers.
Canadian Cancer Society.Precancerous conditions of the mouth.
Choi HN, Cho YS, Koo JW.The effect of mechanical tongue cleaning on oral malodor and tongue coating.IJERPH. 2021;19(1):108. doi:10.3390%2Fijerph19010108
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