My 3 y.o. son has an area on his tongue that looks as if the first layer or two of flesh has eaten away or something. The affected area is redder than the rest of the tongue. It doesn’t look like ulcers, it’s over a larger area. He doesn’t seem to have any pain at all from it, and it’s not swollen or anything. We called the Pediatrician’s office, and they seemed to think it was something the Dentist should look at (he doesn’t have one yet). I’m going to insist the Dr. sees him tomorrow, so we’ll probably know something, but the suspense is killing me.
I’ve had it all my life. Certain foods, like coconut or not-quite ripe bannanas, can trigger outbreaks, but I don’t usually notice them unless I’m brushing my teeth or someone else points it out.
Wow. I googled images of geographic tongue, and that looks very similar to what my son has. The (lack of) symptoms other than the discoloration seems to support this. It seems not to be such a big deal. [sigh of relief] Of course, we’ll have the Dr. check it out right away. Thanks you so much for your help!
I second that.
My dad had (has?) that about a year ago for no apparent reason. Treatment consisted of some type of mouthwash daily IIRC. I don’t know if he still uses that or still has it or what, but it was apparently nothing serious, other than looking strange if he obliged you by sticking his tongue out at you.
Now that I think about it, I never did find out what the heck it was due to or what the reasons for it were.
