Geographic tongue is a condition where patches of the tongue are missing these papillae and appear as smooth “islands” that give a map-like (“geographic”) appearance.Īs the papillae in one area recover and then fade in another, it can give the illusion that the patch is moving over time.

The tongue is normally coated in a series of tiny, pinkish-white bumps called papillae. That said, there are two specific conditions that can be assessed by looking at just the tongue cracks. A cracked tongue diagnosis usually requires looking at more than just the grooves and fissures and often involves inspecting your body and/or mouth for other symptoms. If you’re looking solely at a cracked tongue for health answers, you’ll have a hard time finding them.

What Does a Cracked Tongue Reveal about Your Health?

Aging can also cause the tongue’s natural wrinkles to be more pronounced. That said, some underlying causes have their own risk factors which can influence who is most susceptible.įor instance, oral thrush is more common in anyone with an impaired immune system including those with autoimmune diseases or poorly controlled diabetes. Many of the causes of a cracked tongue do not discriminate based on age, gender, or ethnicity, so anyone can potentially develop one.

Acidic or spicy food may provoke a burning or painful sensation.

The tongue fissures may be shallow or several millimetres deep.

There may be soreness, pain, a burning sensation, or a feeling of “pins and needles.”.

The cracks and grooves are only present on the tongue and not other parts of the mouth.Beyond this, there are several additional characteristics that may occur: A fissured tongue tends to appear with an obvious central crack running down the middle, with smaller ones branching off or encroaching in from the sides.

Has it cracked