# It's not a canker sore...but what is it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2006, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808 "2006-10-25T04:02:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/1 "2006-10-25T04:02:46Z")
Ugh, I did research on canker sores. This isn’t it, but, crikey, pics of canker sores are GROSS. Anyway, for the second time in a month, I have a small, hard, white bump on the end of my tongue. What it really looks like is a whitehead on a zit. But there is no redness; just the white bump. It hurts, too. Not debilitating by any means, but it’s annoying. I’ve gotten these before…they go away on their own after about three days. What is it? ---
**Author:** ![QuantumParticle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c37758/32.png) [@QuantumParticle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuantumParticle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/2 "2006-10-25T04:19:46Z")
Infected taste bud. Bacterial infection. Taking an antibiotic will make it go away… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/3 "2006-10-25T05:17:51Z")
[QUOTE=QuantumParticle] Infected taste bud. Bacterial infection. Taking an antibiotic will make it go away… [/QUOTE] And giving medical advice will make you go away too. The first part of your post was fine. You can guess along with others about what the problem is. But don’t go prescribing medicine. Did you read the part where it goes away by itself in three days? **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/4 "2006-10-25T05:22:42Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Did you read the part where it goes away by itself in three days? [/QUOTE] That’s odd. See, I’ve been getting these lately too. Sides of my tongue, tip of my tongue. They last 3 days. Hurt like heck. Then…gone. I’ve assumed something bacterial, but I hate to go bug the doc for meds when my body can deal with it on its own in (reasonably, if painfully) short order. It’s interesting to see that other people have very similar experiences. But I have no advice, beyond ‘whimper a lot’. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/5 "2006-10-25T05:45:14Z")
I get those sometimes and was told they’re little bacterial infections, sort of like pimples on the tongue. My usual technique is to use an alcohol-containing mouthwash a few times a day, and it helps them go away faster. They go away pretty much instantly if I scrape them off with my nail first, but the pain from that procedure is almost enough to pass out, so I don’t do that unless the bump is bad enough to keep me from eating or something. And I sure as heck don’t recommend it - it’s probably a good way to make it worse, now that I think about it. At the time, though, it’s always a “what can I do to make the hurting **stop** ” sort of mentality that takes over. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/6 "2006-10-26T03:14:36Z")
For the “hurts like hell” part, you can get Anbesol® or the generic equal. It tastes funny, but it numbs the sore. The time-honored mouth sore treatment is rinsing with warm salt water a couple times a day, and it might help. If it is scary/painful/frequent enough, you’ll go see a doctor. How do you know if it is s/p/f enough? Hey, I’m a doctor of divinity, not medicine. This is not WebMD, this is SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![cardsfan1975](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cardsfan1975](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cardsfan1975)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/7 "2006-10-26T05:14:47Z")
I certainly don’t recommend this because it does hurt, but it works for me. When I get them, I clip them off with fingernail clippers. cf’75 ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/8 "2006-10-26T05:34:33Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] And giving medical advice will make you go away too. The first part of your post was fine. You can guess along with others about what the problem is. But don’t go prescribing medicine. Did you read the part where it goes away by itself in three days? **samclem** GQ moderator [/QUOTE] Sam yoou have to understand. If left alone they go away in 3 days. By using antibiotic they will go away in only 72 hours. :smack: What? ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/9 "2006-10-26T13:50:49Z")
When I was little, my Granny called them “Lie Bumps”. As in, you would get one if you told a lie. I know it was just to scare me, but I still call them Lie Bumps. And they hurt like hell for about 3 days, and I can’t stop messing with it if I get one. I’ve never tried to clip one off with fingernail clippers though. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/10 "2006-10-26T14:29:51Z")
My mom always referred to them as “swollen inflamed taste buds”. They’re a pain but yeah, time does the trick. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-canker-sore-but-what-is-it/377808/11 "2006-10-26T14:43:38Z")
Do not cut it off with toenail clippers- that’s an excellent way to get an infection. Don’t take antibiotics unless your Dr has prescribed them for that condition. Some dudes have had some luck with \*minor, non-health affecting mouth sores \* by taking Probiotics, and others have had luck preventing them by switching to a toothpaste withOUT Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. If the sore is beyond “minor” then see your MD.