Bump On Back Of Tongue. Could It Be Serious?

Posted on Sun, 24 Jun 2012

Question: My son noticed a bump in the back of his tongue. It is the color of his tongue - not red or swollen, just a small pimple-sized bump. Could it be serious?

Answered by Dr. James M. Schwartz (59 minutes later)

Hello,

Thanks for your query.

It is probably not serious. We have bumps on the back of our tongues called papilla. This is probly just an enlarged papilla. However, if he is a smoker, has any other chronic illness, or has swollen glands in his neck, then his physician should examine him. Otherwise it is probably safe to monitor. If it does not come down to normal size in about a week or two then it is advisable to have his physician to check it out in any case.

I hope this answer helps. Please feel free to follow up if you have additional questions.

Best regards,
Dr. Schwartz.

Note: Find out which dental treatment will work best for your teeth. Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T