Question:

I got these slightly painful wart looking bumps at the back of my tongue. The pain did not last long, but I still have the bumps and a nasty white coating that covers my tongue. I`ve tried every mouth wash and tongue scraper I can find, but nothing has worked. I also noticed I have very bad breath, all the time.

Answer:

The bumps at the back of your tongue (assuming there are 6-8 of these and they are lined up in a row across the back of the tongue) are normal structures called circumvallate papillae. Everyone has these, but most people don’t know they are there because they are pretty far back. The white “coating” is also the normal accumulation of dead surface cells. The outermost layer of the tissue undergoes a process called keratinization, which is a normal process that the body uses to protect the underlying tissues. These dead, keratinized cells are constantly being produced, then they are usually knocked off and swallowed. When they are not knocked off very quickly, or if there is some irritation (like smoking cigarettes or drinking hot beverages), the keratin builds up, causing a “coated” appearance. The bacteria that are normally present in the mouth often use these dead cells as food, and in the process of digesting the cells, chemicals that contain sulfur from the proteins in the cells may be released, causing bad breath.

There are numerous other causes of bad breath, however, including gum disease (periodontitis), tonsillar debris, and sinus problems. Each of these areas should also be evaluated by an appropriate dental or medical specialist.

For more information:

Go to the Mouth Diseases health topic.