Rough/furry tongue with sores near back

[jharrison13]

My tongue has always had a distinctive white "scum" on it.  I know this is fairly common and can be treated by brushing the surface when brushing, but I think my problem is worse.  My tongue seems to be a bit "furry".  When I scratch a fingernail over it, the little "hairs" become visible.  This has resulted in me never getting my tongue very clean, as tongue scrapers just scrape against the surface and cause bleeding.



My other concern is that I've started getting regular zit-like bumps on the back of my tongue, where the scum is most populous.  They seem like little masses of skin that are sore, and for the most part go away after a week or two.



Please help, this problem is very unsightly to the odd person that sees my tongue, and I'm afraid of my partners noticing it when kissing.

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

It is possible that you have a so called hairy tongue. This condition although unsightly is benign.There really nothing you can do to remedy the situation except to keep it as clean as possible. For a definitive diagnosis I would encourage you to see an oral surgeon