Diagnosis

Your physician or dentist can usually make a diagnosis of geographic tongue based on an examination of your tongue and your signs and symptoms.

During the exam, your physician or dentist may:

• Use a lighted instrument to check your tongue and mouth
• Ask you to move your tongue around in various positions
• Gently touch (palpate) your tongue to check for tenderness or unusual changes in the tongue's texture or consistency
• Check for signs of infection, such as fever or swollen lymph nodes in the neck