Question:

Hi, I have some concerns. Not too long ago, my tough started being sensitive to a point that swallowing anything was painful, in a few days, the problem resolved only to recur with sensitivity being on the sides and the front tip of the tongue. I tried changing toothpastes and brushing with SLS free toothpaste and I feel better but not really 100%. Again just today I realized the roof of my mouth has some black spots and so do my gums, especially the bottom jaw next to the molars! What do you think could be the problem? In addition, I found a cavity in one of the front teeth! Please help. PS I do plan to see a dentist to have the cavity fixed. Thanks for your time

Answer:

First, I don’t think the black spots or the cavity are related to your sensitive tongue. You probably just started looking more closely because your mouth was bothering you.

There are several reasons for black spots to develop in the mouth, including use of certain medicines or even cigarettes. Most mouth spots are benign and not serious, but there is one rare exception called oral melanoma that is related to the skin cancer of the same name.

Because of this unlikely possibility, I recommend you see your dentist or a dental specialist such as an oral and maxillofacial pathologist or surgeon for a personal consultation. The tongue problems you relate sound as though they may represent the annoying condition called burning mouth syndrome (burning tongue syndrome). Additional information about this problem will be attached.

Your dentist or the dental specialist can also examine the tongue to rule out any other possibilities that might be contributing to your symptoms. Good luck!

Related Resources:

Burning Mouth Syndrome
Burning Mouth Syndrome (AAOMP)

For more information:

Go to the Mouth Diseases health topic.