Although often called one of the most powerful muscles in the body, the tongue is actually a group of muscles that help you speak, chew, taste, and swallow. Your tongue should be pink and spotted with tiny papillae if healthy. If you have detected sores or discoloration, consult your dentist immediately to determine the cause and offer the necessary treatment.
A sore tongue could make it challenging to perform basic activities like speaking and eating, affecting your quality of life. However, seeking prompt treatment from a qualified dentist could help fix the issue. Your dentist can help diagnose the cause of the issue and recommend an appropriate treatment plan. While many tongue issues are minor, others may indicate serious underlying conditions and require prompt evaluation.
Possible Causes of a Sore Tongue
While some of the most common symptoms of a sore tongue are pain and difficulties swallowing or talking, the specific symptoms you will experience will depend on the underlying cause. If you are experiencing soreness in your tongue, there could be an underlying cause of the problem that requires medical treatment. Below are some of the common causes of a sore tongue among most patients:
Geographic Tongue
A geographic tongue is a medical condition that causes irregular, smooth, red patches that have a light or white-colored border on your tongue. It is known as geographic tongue because these patches have a map-like appearance. The size of the patches can vary and could occur in one area of your tongue before migrating to another location after a few days, weeks, or months.
In some people, these sores can feel sensitive or sore when consuming certain drinks and foods. While the geographic tongue issue could lessen with time for some people, it could be more consistent for others.
The cause of this issue is not clear, meaning there is no specific treatment, but taking over-the-counter painkillers can help manage the pain caused by the condition. You should also consult your dentist for advice on reducing the condition's symptoms.
Oral Thrush
Also known as candidiasis, oral thrush could also cause a sore tongue. Oral thrush is a fungal or yeast infection affecting the mouth or throat. Aside from a sore tongue, other common symptoms of this condition include the following:
- A sensation that feels like you have cotton in your mouth
- Redness in your mouth
- Pain in your mouth
- White patches on your mouth
- Loss of taste
While this condition could affect anyone, the following people are more likely to experience oral thrush:
- Older adults
- People who smoke
- Infants aged less than one month
- Denture wearers
- People with weakened immune systems — These include those undergoing chemotherapy, living with HIV/AIDS, or taking immunosuppressants
- Users of steroid inhalers
- People with poor oral hygiene
If you experience the above symptoms of oral thrush, consult your dentist for appropriate treatment. Treatment of this condition could involve taking antifungal medication.
Trauma
A cut on your tongue, accidentally biting it, surgery, teeth grinding, or drinking hot beverages could cause injury or trauma to your tongue. If your injury is severe, medical attention could be necessary, but a minor trauma should heal after a few days without any intervention. Topical pain relief could assist in managing the pain and discomfort, particularly when eating.
Consult a dentist if you experience persistent tongue pain or injury if you have experienced a trauma in your mouth that is causing disruptive symptoms. A dentist can help with several oral-related issues, including trauma.
Transient Lingual Papillitis (TLP)
Your taste buds could also become swollen and inflamed, causing painful red or white bumps on your tongue, known as TLP. The specific cause of this condition is unknown, but hormonal changes and stress play a great role. While they could be painful, they usually heal without treatment after two or three days.
Mouth Ulcers
Pain in your mouth that begins with tingling sensations and only occurs within a specific location could be a canker sore or an ulcer. They are open yellow or white spots with a surrounding red area. Some of the common causes of canker sores include the following:
- Anxiety or stress
- Minor trauma to your mouth area
- Chewing something sharp or hard
- Sensitivity or allergy to certain foods or substances used in oral and dental hygiene products
- Viral infections
- Chronic health conditions, including celiac disease
If you have ulcers, you should expect them to disappear after seven to fourteen days. However, some ulcers could take longer, even months or weeks, before they heal. OTC gels like Orajel and Difflam can help ease disruptive discomfort caused by mouth ulcers because they contain active ingredients like lidocaine and benzocaine to numb the affected region.
Allergy or Food Sensitivity
If specific foods cause soreness on your tongue, it may indicate an oral allergy syndrome. This condition is due to allergy or sensitivity to substances inherent in raw vegetables, fruits, and specific tree nuts. In addition to soreness in your tongue, this condition could make you experience the following symptoms:
- Itchy throat
- Mouth itchiness
- Tongue, mouth, and lip swelling
If you often experience a sore tongue after eating certain foods, you should speak with your dentist for a recommendation of appropriate treatment.
Smoking
Smoking tobacco products excessively increases the risk of gum disease, abrasions, tooth damage, and cancer of the throat and mouth, which can irritate and hurt your tongue. If you have a sore tongue, smoking could be the culprit. To reduce the symptoms caused by the sore tongue and accelerate the healing process, you should consider refraining from smoking.
According to a 2022 study that evaluated the effects of smoking among 50 healthy adults, the levels of specific bacteria were common and higher among smokers, including the ones that contribute to inflammation and bad breath.
Anemia or Nutrient Deficiencies
Low or reduced levels of specific nutrients in your body could contribute to soreness in your tongue. Examples of these nutrients include zinc, folate, and iron. Treating this condition could require eating a balanced diet and using supplements or vitamin injections.
Burning Tongue Syndrome (BTS)
BTS is a condition that causes burning sensations on the tongue or the roof of the mouth. While this condition could affect anyone, postmenopausal people aged over 70 years are more prone to this oral health issue because lower estrogen levels usually cause reduced taste bud sensitivity.
BTS does not cause visible symptoms like discoloration and bumps, but you could notice the following symptoms when you have this condition:
- Dry mouth
- Numbness in your mouth
- Altered taste
- Mouth pain, often feeling like burning or tingling
Dental Issues
Maintaining good oral hygiene, which includes brushing your teeth and tongue regularly and seeing your dentist frequently, is essential for your general oral and dental well-being. A poor oral health routine could also contribute to a sore tongue and several other dental and oral health conditions, including cavities. Poorly fitted or loose dental restorations, including bridges and braces, could also contribute to tongue soreness.
Neuralgia
Neuralgia is mostly due to nerve damage or irritation and could cause tongue soreness and pain. This condition can cause excruciating pain, similar to an electric shock, that you may feel on your tonsils, tongue, throat, or ears, particularly when swallowing. Medication could be necessary to help ease the nerve pain.
Lichen Planus
Your tongue may hurt if you have oral lichen planus, a long-term, inflammatory skin condition. This condition is often due to dental plaque, an immune response, and stress, which could worsen the problem. Common symptoms of this condition include redness, lines, ulcerations, and changes in the color of your tongue.
Treatment of this condition includes medication and lifestyle changes to reduce the symptoms.
Behcet’s Disease
Behçet's disease can cause inflammation of blood vessels throughout your body. If you have this condition, you will probably experience mouth and tongue sores that resemble canker sores. If you have Behçet's disease, ongoing treatment will be necessary to manage its symptoms. Although the exact cause of this condition is generally unknown, genetic factors seem to be involved.
Certain Medications
Using various medications could also be the culprit of your sore tongue. Examples of these medications include the following:
- Mouthwashes
- Beta-blockers
- Corticosteroids
- immunosuppressants
If you believe your medications could be making your tongue sore, you should consult with your doctor. Your doctor could recommend a different medication if it is the cause.
Oral Cancer
Soreness in your tongue could also be a symptom of oral cancer. Since at the early stage, oral cancer does not cause painful symptoms, you should consult with your dentist immediately when you detect a sore, a lump, or a lesion on your tongue that has lasted for more than three weeks. If these signs are due to oral cancer, your dentist can recommend appropriate treatment to reverse the condition.
Like any other type of cancer, treating oral cancer is more effective when detected early during its onset.
Chemotherapy
Cancer treatment and care, like chemotherapy, could damage the cells lining your gastrointestinal tract, throat, and mouth, leading to painful sores and ulcers. Tongue pain and soreness will not heal until your chemotherapy treatment ends. After that, it could take anywhere between two (2) and four (4) weeks to heal.
Sore Tongue Treatment
When you detect unusual lesions, lumps, or sores on your tongue, consult your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist will thoroughly evaluate your tongue condition to determine the cause of the issue for appropriate treatment.
If the cause of the issue is beyond your dentist's expertise, he/she could refer you to a specialist. For example, if you have oral cancer causing soreness on your tongue, your general dentist could refer you to an oncologist or maxillofacial surgeon for diagnosis and treatment.
Nonetheless, here are some of the treatment recommendations your dentist could make to treat the underlying cause of your sore tongue:
- For mild tongue sores, your dentist could recommend making lifestyle changes and monitoring the sores to reduce the symptoms
- For canker sores, your dentist could recommend brushing and flossing your teeth effectively at least twice daily
- If the cause of your issue is mineral deficiency, the dentist could recommend eating a well-balanced diet
- Replacing loose-fitting dental restorations, like braces
- In severe cases, your dentist could recommend taking medication, including antibiotics
- Rinsing your mouth with salty water to prevent infection and lessen the painful symptoms caused by the sores
- Limiting foods that could irritate your gums, including citrus fruits, like oranges and lemons
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sore Tongue
Most people with a sore tongue will often ask the following questions to know what they are dealing with and how to accelerate the healing process:
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How Do Dentists Detect a Sore Tongue?
During your appointment with your dentist, will ask about your symptoms and medical history and perform a visual and physical examination. Imaging may be used if a serious condition is suspected. Based on this collective information, your dentist will know if you have a sore tongue and recommend appropriate treatment.
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How Do I Prevent a Sore Tongue?
Tongue soreness is preventable, and the following tips can help prevent this issue:
- Brush your teeth regularly
- Scrape and brush your tongue
- Floss at least twice daily
- Chew sugar-free gum
- Avoid tobacco
- Visit your dentist at least twice every year for a dental and oral check-up
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What Are the Best Home-Based Treatments for a Sore Tongue?
The following remedies could help treat or reduce the symptoms of a sore tongue:
- Rinsing your mouth with salty water
- Limit your intake of spicy foods
- Applying ice to lessen and numb the sores
- Applying over-the-counter gels
- Stay hydrated, as dry mouth can worsen tongue discomfort
- Maintaining an excellent oral health routine
Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me
While a mild sore tongue will heal spontaneously within a few days, others require intervention by a medical practitioner.
At Northridge Advanced Dentistry, we can help you uncover the cause of your sore tongue and recommend an appropriate treatment plan. Whether you have a recurring tongue soreness or are experiencing this issue for the first time, our reputable and seasoned dentists are here to help. Call us at 818-701-3010 to schedule an initial consultation with us today.
