Where do pre-cancerous cells come from on the tongue. I'm having crystal laser surgery tomorrow for this and have so many unanswered questions. I've been getting these white spots on the sides of my tongue for a while, especially when stressed and sleep-deprived, but then they'll go away. their occurence has increased to the point I'm where I'm at today. Sorry, I have to go to an apppointment I'm late for, I'll have to retrieve the answer another time.