Ask an Expert: White tiny blisters on tip of tongue

Mouth Diseases

White tiny blisters on tip of tongue
10/19/2006

Question:

i have very tiny white specs that seem to by small blisters on the very tip of my tongue. its slightly irritating but not too painful. i know its not an std. the only thing i can think of is that my chin ring (got recently) irritated my tongue while playing with it. is there any other information which could tell me exactly what it is?

Answer:

What you are describing sounds very much like transient lingual papillitis. Although a big name, this is more of an annoyance than anything else. Most experts feel that it is a result of local irritation or trauma to the small bumps of the tongue (fungiform papillae) that contain our taste buds. They can be quite tender and even mildly painful, but typically resolve on their own within 4-5 days.

There is no known treatment other than ice water or popsicles to soothe the tenderness.

Hope this helps.

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Response by:

John R Kalmar, DMD, PhD
Clinical Professor of Pathology
Associate Dean of Dentistry Administration
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University