Pink spot on tongue. TMI?

Hello esteemed mediDopers.

I have a spot on the side of my tongue (right on that place that usually gets bitten when you bite your tongue on the side, if that’s of any relevance) that has been there for … ? Well, that’s the curious part. I noticed it first a few months ago, and it was yellowish-white, about the size of a zit, and sort of hanging off my tongue like a flap. Looking online convinced me that it was just a canker sore (of which I often get on the inside of my lips and mouth, just mine are usually really tiny and clear instead of yellow) that I had probably caught between my teeth and I was mostly reassured and decided to keep an eye on it and not to worry.

So I forgot to keep an eye on it until just the other day when I noticed a light pinkish spot, of the same size, but no longer flappish, in the same place. Occam’s Razor being what it is, I am presuming that they are both the same spot.

It doesn’t hurt (obviously) nor can I *really *feel it, but now that I am paying attention to it, it sort of feels “there” in that sort of nagging almost-present sensation - either that or I’m concentrating phantom stimuli into existence because I’m thinking about it.

So… could it be a scar? Do I have tongue cancer? Will my doctor mock me if I stop by and stick my tongue out and say “hwah ith thith thin on mah tongth?”

More importantly, will he charge me shiteloads of money to either say that it’s tongue cancer or not? Because honestly, I don’t have shiteloads of money right now.

Many thanks, you are not my doctors, this is not official medical advice, yadda yadda yadda.

Make an appointment to have your teeth cleaned. Ask the hygienist what it is. She can have the dentist look if she doesn’t know. YOu get two things handled for one price.

You might need to see an otolaryngologist instead of a dentist to diagnose this. It might require a biopsy. IANAD, and not to scare you, but my mother had a similarly unusual spot on her tongue. It turned out to be malignant and required surgery, including removal of part of her tongue.

We prefer that real-life medical and legal questions start in IMHO rather than General Questions. Moved.

samclem, Moderator

Just an anecdote:

I have a number of “bumps” on my tongue, about the size of the smilies’:o:dubious::frowning: in this message (one or two, slightly larger). I had one that was about the size of a pea toward the back of my tongue biopsied some years ago, and it was diagnosed as an irritation fibroma. My dentist keeps an eye on the other ones at my cleanings, but the large one at the back was the only one I’ve had removed so far.

I had a benign growth removed from my tongue. I’d have it checked out.

I’ve had oral surgery four times for cancer. Don’t take chances; have it looked at. Oral surgery is not fun.