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White, painless circles on child`s tongue

12/01/2008

Question:

Hello,

My four year old son has several small white circles on his tongue. They are about 1/3 to 1/2 cm in diameter, and they are red in the center. He does not complain of pain, even when they are touched. They are located towards the tip of the tongue and on the sides.

We just noticed these today, while brushing his teeth.

Any idea what these might be? Thank you very much for your assistance.

From a worried father.

Answer:

What you describe sounds similar in many respects to a condition known as geographic tongue (also called erythema migrans or benign migratory glossitis). Although well-recognized and relatively common, little is known about geographic tongue besides its tendency to affect the upper front and sides of the tongue. These painless whitish circles with reddish centers can slowly move or “migrate” around the tongue and may disappear altogether.

No treatment is needed for your son and this condition is not transmissible (contagious). Additional information will be attached to this reply. Hope this helps reduce your worry.

Related Resources:

Geographic Tongue

For more information:

Go to the Mouth Diseases health topic.