Should I go to a dentist or doctor for teeth marks on my tongue?

Thank you for your question. There can be many reasons for white spots at the side of your tongue. If you’ve seen a GP and was asked to see a dentist, he or she may be concerned that the spots may be due to your teeth rubbing against the side of your tongue.

The medical term for white lesions on the tongue or anywhere in the mouth that cannot be removed is called leukoplakia. Leukoplakia can be benign (non cancerous), pre-cancerous or cancerous.These spots should be checked by a doctor with surgical training as a biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue for testing) may be required, especially if it has been there for a while or has been increasing in size.

Most commonly, an ENT Specialist, a General Surgeon with Head & Neck Subspecialty training or an Oral/Oral maxillofacial dental surgeon are qualified to assess such spots for you.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question.

There may be various causes for the whites of your tongue, most commonly due to chronic trauma/ infection eg) frictional keratosis/ candidiasis. Of course, leukoplakia, as per pointed out by Dr Gan is also a potential diagnosis.

A thorough history taking, clinical examination, and biopsy may be carried out to aid in the correct diagnosis of your condition, as treatment modalities would vary depending on the diagnosis.

Dental wise, you may visit a Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon (Dental specialist) or Dentists with special interest in Oral Pathology. I know of Dr Andrew Robinson/ Dr Catherine Hong from NUH and Dr Chelsia Sim from NDC whom you may approach for consultation.

Hope this helps!