Lie Bumps on the Tongue (Transient Lingual Papillitis)
Lie bumps are small, sore bumps that pop up on the tip or sides of your tongue, often overnight. The name comes from an old schoolyard story that you get one for telling a lie. You don't. Lying has nothing to do with it. A lie bump is one of the tiny papillae on your tongue that got irritated and swelled up, and it usually goes away on its own in a day or two.
Lie bumps (transient lingual papillitis) are small, tender red or white bumps on the tip or sides of the tongue. Each is one irritated, swollen papilla. They aren't caused by lying, aren't contagious in adults, and aren't serious. Most fade in 1 to 3 days. Rinse with salt water, eat cool, bland food, and don't pick at them. Have any bump that lasts 2 weeks checked.
Not sure this is what you have? Answer five quick questions in our mouth spot checker. It compares what you see with more than 40 common conditions and tells you how soon to have it looked at.
- What is a lie bump?
- What lie bumps on the tongue look like
- The two main types
- Lie bump or something else?
- What causes lie bumps?
- Symptoms
- How long lie bumps last
- How to get rid of lie bumps
- Over-the-counter options
- What a dentist can do
- Preventing the next one
- Kids, pregnancy and other special cases
- When to see a dentist
- FAQ
What is a lie bump?
The top of your tongue is covered in tiny projections called papillae. Most of them are the fine, hair-like ones that make the tongue look slightly rough and whitish. Scattered among them, mostly on the tip and sides, are larger, rounder, pinker dots called fungiform papillae. Many of them hold taste buds.
A lie bump is what happens when one of those fungiform papillae gets inflamed. It swells, turns red or white, and becomes surprisingly tender. That's why people often call them swollen taste buds or inflamed taste buds. Strictly speaking it's the papilla that swells, not the taste bud itself, but the idea is right.
The medical name, transient lingual papillitis, just describes it: a short-lived (transient) inflammation of a tongue (lingual) papilla. Dentists have recognized it for a long time, and it was given that formal name in 1996. In that original survey of dental school staff, 56% said they'd had one.
What lie bumps on the tongue look like
Most people feel a lie bump before they see it. You notice a sharp, sore spot when your tongue touches your teeth or when you take a sip of something hot or acidic. In the mirror you'll usually find:
- A single raised dot, often 1 to 3 mm across, about the size of a pinhead or a sesame seed.
- A red bump, or a bump with a white or yellowish top. The white ones look a bit like a tiny pimple, but there's nothing inside to pop.
- A spot near the tip or along the side of the tongue, where the fungiform papillae are.
- Sometimes two or three bumps close together, or a cluster of slightly swollen papillae across the front of the tongue.
We don't have a good set of photos to show here beyond the one above, so the diagrams on this page do some of the work. The key thing to notice in the photo is that a lie bump is the same shape as the papillae around it. It's just bigger, redder and sore. It isn't an open sore, and it doesn't wipe off.
The two main types of lie bumps
| Localized (the classic lie bump) | Eruptive lingual papillitis | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets it | Teens and adults, any age. Slightly more common in women. | Mostly young children, around age 3 to 4 on average |
| What it looks like | One to a few swollen papillae on the tip or sides | Many swollen papillae across the tip and sides of the tongue |
| Other symptoms | Soreness, burning, sensitivity to hot or spicy food | Trouble eating, drooling, sometimes fever and swollen neck glands |
| Spreads to others? | No | Often spreads to other family members, so a virus is suspected |
| How long | Hours to a few days | About a week on average (2 to 15 days in one study) |
There's also a rare, painless version where many papillae stay white and enlarged for months. That one isn't really a "lie bump" in the everyday sense, and it's worth having us look at.
Lie bump or something else? Other bumps on the tongue
A sore bump on the tongue that showed up overnight is almost always a lie bump. These are the things people most often confuse it with:
| Lie bump | Canker sore on the tongue | Irritation fibroma | Oral papilloma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | One inflamed papilla | A shallow open ulcer | A firm knot of scar-like tissue from repeated biting or rubbing | A small growth caused by HPV, usually a harmless type |
| Looks like | Raised red or white dot, 1–3 mm | Flat or hollow white-yellow center with a red ring | Smooth, pink, dome-shaped lump | White or pink, bumpy, cauliflower-like surface |
| Painful? | Yes, often more than you'd expect | Yes | Usually not | Usually not |
| How long | 1–3 days, rarely over a week | 7–14 days | Stays until removed | Stays until removed |
| What to do | Home care | Home care. See us if it lasts 2 weeks. | See a dentist. It can be removed and checked. | See a dentist. It can be removed and checked. |
Read more about canker sores, oral fibromas and oral papillomas. A few other look-alikes come up often:
- Bumps on the back of the tongue. The large, round bumps in a V-shape far back on your tongue are circumvallate papillae. Everyone has them. People often find them for the first time and panic. Our page on bumps on the back of the tongue walks through what's normal back there.
- Scalloped tongue. Wavy, rippled indentations along the sides of the tongue from pressing against the teeth. These are dents, not bumps. See scalloped tongue.
- Geographic tongue. Smooth red patches with white borders that move around over days. The papillae in the patches are flattened rather than swollen. See geographic tongue.
- Strawberry tongue. A bright red tongue covered in swollen papillae, along with fever. This can be a sign of strep throat with scarlet fever, or Kawasaki disease in young children. It needs a doctor, not home care.
- A single bump or sore that doesn't go away. A lie bump comes and goes fast. A lump, sore or red or white patch on the side of the tongue that's still there after 2 weeks should be examined. Most turn out to be harmless, but this is the spot where oral cancer most often starts in the mouth, so it shouldn't be watched indefinitely. Learn the signs of oral cancer.
What causes lie bumps?
No single cause has been proven, and often there's no clear trigger at all. The things most often linked to lie bumps are:
- Irritation or minor injury. Biting your tongue, rubbing it on a sharp tooth, rough filling or braces, or a habit of pushing the tongue against the teeth.
- Hot, spicy or acidic foods. Burns from hot coffee or pizza, sour candy, citrus, and cinnamon or other spicy candies. One case report traced repeated lie bumps to a fiery cinnamon hard candy.
- Stress and poor sleep. One teenager in a published case series got them twice, both times during exams.
- Hormonal changes, such as around a menstrual period or menopause.
- Allergies or sensitivity to a food, toothpaste ingredient, mouthwash or flavoring. People with allergies or eczema seem to get them more.
- Smoking and heavy drinking.
- Stomach upset or digestive problems. Some people notice them with heartburn or reflux. Our page on acid reflux and the mouth covers what reflux can do in there.
- Viral infections. A virus is suspected in the childhood eruptive type, and swollen papillae on the front of the tongue were reported in some people hospitalized with COVID-19.
And to settle it once and for all: lie bumps aren't caused by lying. The name is pure folklore.
Symptoms of swollen taste buds and lie bumps
- A sharp, pinpoint soreness that's out of proportion to how small the bump is
- Burning, tingling or itching on the tip or sides of the tongue
- Stinging with hot, spicy, salty or acidic food and drinks
- Discomfort when talking or eating, especially if the bump rubs your teeth
- Sometimes a slightly off or dull sense of taste in that area while it's swollen
- In young kids with the eruptive type: fussiness, drooling, not wanting to eat, and sometimes a low fever
Some lie bumps don't hurt at all. You just notice a bump with your tongue and go look.
How long do lie bumps last?
Not long. Most lie bumps settle down within 1 to 3 days, and some are gone in a few hours. When more of the tongue is inflamed, it can take a week or longer. The childhood eruptive type lasts about a week on average.
Lie bumps can come back, sometimes several times a year, especially if the trigger is still around. If you keep getting them in the same spot, look for something rubbing it, like a chipped tooth or the edge of a retainer.
How to get rid of lie bumps at home
There's no way to make a lie bump vanish on the spot, and you don't need one. The goal is to stop irritating it and keep it comfortable while it settles, which is usually quick. Our general home care instructions cover everyday brushing and rinsing too.
- Rinse with warm salt water 3 or 4 times a day: about ½ teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Swish and spit. A baking soda rinse (1 teaspoon in ½ cup of water) works too.
- Cool it down. Let an ice chip melt on the spot, sip cold water, or have a popsicle or cold yogurt. Cold numbs it and calms the swelling.
- Skip the irritants for a couple of days. Spicy, sour, salty and very hot foods, citrus, tomato sauce, cinnamon candy and gum, crunchy chips, and alcohol.
- Leave it alone. Don't bite, scrape, pop or cut it. It isn't a pimple and there's no fluid inside. Messing with it only makes it sorer and slower to heal.
- Keep brushing, gently. Use a soft brush and a mild toothpaste. If a whitening or strongly flavored toothpaste stings, switch for a while. Avoid alcohol-based mouthwash until it's better.
- Use a numbing gel before meals if it really hurts. See the table below.
Things that don't help
- Popping, pinching or cutting a lie bump. There's nothing to drain. You'll make a small open sore out of it.
- Putting salt, aspirin, rubbing alcohol or straight hydrogen peroxide directly on it. These burn the tissue.
- Antibiotics. A lie bump isn't a bacterial infection.
Over-the-counter options for a lie bump
You won't need most of these. They're for the occasional bump that makes eating miserable.
| Type | What it does | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Numbing gels and liquids (benzocaine, lidocaine) | Short-term pain relief, handy before meals | Use as the label directs. Do not use benzocaine in children under 2. The FDA warns it can cause a rare but dangerous blood condition called methemoglobinemia. |
| Salt-water or baking soda rinse (homemade) | Soothes and keeps the area clean | Safe for most people, including during pregnancy. Swish and spit. |
| Alcohol-free antiseptic or oxygenating rinse | Keeps the area clean | Use as directed. Pick alcohol-free so it doesn't sting. |
| Pain relievers (acetaminophen, ibuprofen) | May take the edge off | Follow the label and use children's products for kids. They won't make the bump go away faster. If you're pregnant, ask your OB before taking ibuprofen. |
What a dentist can do for lie bumps
For a single lie bump that's gone in a couple of days, you don't need us. We're happy to see you if the bumps keep coming back, hurt enough to keep you from eating, or don't look quite like the description on this page.
- Confirm what it is. A lie bump is diagnosed by looking at it and hearing how it started. Most people don't need any test.
- Find and fix the source of irritation. We check for a sharp tooth edge, broken filling, rough crown or poking orthodontic wire, and smooth or repair it.
- Prescribe relief for bad flares. For widespread, painful papillitis, a prescription steroid rinse or a numbing rinse can help.
- Look for a pattern. If they keep coming back, we'll go over toothpaste, foods, habits like tongue thrusting or clenching, and possible allergies. If reflux or another medical issue seems to be involved, we'll work with your physician.
- Biopsy or refer. A bump that doesn't go away, isn't tender, or keeps growing isn't behaving like a lie bump. We'll either take a small biopsy or refer you so it can be looked at under a microscope. That's the only way to know for sure what a persistent spot is. Our oral medicine and diagnosis page explains how we work up spots like that.
How to prevent lie bumps
You can't prevent every one, but you can make them less frequent if you know your triggers.
- Get sharp edges fixed. A chipped tooth or rough filling that your tongue keeps finding is an easy fix.
- Let hot food and drinks cool before the first bite or sip.
- Go easy on sour and spicy candy, cinnamon gum and acidic drinks if they seem to set you off.
- Try a milder toothpaste. If you get bumps after starting a new whitening, tartar-control or strongly flavored paste, switch back.
- Notice your habits. Pressing or rubbing the tongue against the teeth, especially when stressed, can keep the tip irritated.
- Keep a short diary if they recur. Write down foods, products and stress in the day before each one. A pattern often shows up quickly.
Lie bumps in kids, pregnancy and other special cases
Babies and young children
Young kids can get the eruptive type, with many swollen bumps across the front of the tongue. They may drool, refuse food, run a low fever and have swollen neck glands, and others in the house may get it too. It usually clears in about a week. Keep them drinking. Cold foods, popsicles and children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen as the label directs can help. Avoid benzocaine numbing products under age 2.
Call your pediatrician the same day if your child has a high or lasting fever with a bright red, bumpy "strawberry" tongue, a sandpaper-like rash, red eyes, red cracked lips, or swollen hands or feet. Those point to strep with scarlet fever or Kawasaki disease, which need prompt medical treatment. Many sores in the mouth with a rash on the hands and feet is more likely hand, foot and mouth disease.
Pregnancy
Hormone shifts may make lie bumps more likely for some women. Salt-water rinses and cool foods are safe. Check with your OB or pharmacist before using medicated gels or pain relievers.
Chemotherapy, radiation and weakened immune systems
Cancer treatment, transplant medicines and other immune-suppressing drugs can change how the tongue looks and make it sore for other reasons, including mouth sores (mucositis) and thrush. Don't assume a new bump or sore spot is just a lie bump. Let your care team or dentist look. Our head and neck cancer dental care page explains how we help patients through treatment.
A tongue that burns all the time
If your whole tongue burns for weeks and there's no visible bump, that's a different problem. Read about burning mouth syndrome and glossitis.
When to see a dentist about a bump on your tongue
Make an appointment if:
- A bump or sore spot on your tongue hasn't gone away in 2 weeks
- It's painless, firm, or getting bigger
- It keeps coming back in the same place
- It's next to a sharp tooth, broken filling or appliance
- You see a red or white patch, not just a bump
- You aren't sure what it is and want peace of mind
Get care today if:
- A child has a high or lasting fever with a red, bumpy tongue, rash or red eyes
- Your tongue or throat is swelling, or you have trouble swallowing or breathing (call 911 for trouble breathing)
- Pain is bad enough that you or your child can't drink enough fluids
- You're on chemotherapy or other immune-suppressing treatment and develop new mouth pain or sores
Lie bumps FAQ
What is a lie bump?
A lie bump is a small, sore bump on the tongue caused by one irritated, swollen papilla. The medical name is transient lingual papillitis. It usually shows up on the tip or side of the tongue, looks red or white, and goes away on its own in 1 to 3 days. It isn't serious and has nothing to do with lying.
Do you really get lie bumps from lying?
No. The name comes from an old folk story, not from medicine. Lie bumps are caused by irritation of the papillae on the tongue, from things like a bite, hot or spicy food, a sharp tooth, stress or hormone changes. Plenty of honest people get them.
How do I get rid of a lie bump fast?
Most lie bumps go away in a day or two without treatment. To feel better sooner, rinse with warm salt water a few times a day, let ice chips melt on the spot, and avoid spicy, acidic and very hot foods. A numbing gel before meals can help with eating. Don't pick at it, which only slows healing.
Can you pop a lie bump?
No. A lie bump is a swollen papilla, not a pimple or blister, so there's nothing inside to drain. Squeezing, popping or cutting it turns it into a small open sore that hurts more and takes longer to heal. Leave it alone and it will usually be gone in a few days.
How do you remove a lie bump?
You don't need to remove a lie bump. It shrinks back to a normal papilla on its own, usually within 1 to 3 days. Trying to cut or burn it off at home can injure your tongue. A bump that lasts more than 2 weeks isn't behaving like a lie bump and should be examined by a dentist, who may remove it for a biopsy.
What causes lie bumps on your tongue?
The exact cause isn't known, and often there's no obvious trigger. Common culprits are biting or rubbing the tongue, sharp teeth or braces, hot, spicy or sour foods, cinnamon candy or gum, stress, poor sleep, hormone changes, smoking, and sensitivity to a food or toothpaste. A virus is suspected in the type that spreads among young children in a family.
How long do lie bumps last?
Most lie bumps last from a few hours to about 3 days. When more of the tongue is inflamed, or in the childhood eruptive type, it can take a week or a bit longer. If a bump is still there after 2 weeks, have a dentist look at it.
Are lie bumps contagious?
The common single lie bump is not contagious. You can't catch it or pass it on by kissing or sharing drinks. A less common form in young children, called eruptive lingual papillitis, often spreads to other family members, which suggests a virus may be involved.
Why are my taste buds swollen?
What people call swollen taste buds are usually inflamed fungiform papillae, the small pink dots on the tip and sides of the tongue that hold taste buds. Irritation from food, heat, a sharp tooth, stress or a mild infection can make one or more swell. A single swollen bump that settles in a few days is a lie bump. If your whole tongue is red, swollen and sore, or you have a fever, see a dentist or doctor.
What are the bumps on the side of my tongue?
Small, sore bumps on the side of the tongue are often lie bumps, and wavy dents along the sides are usually a scalloped tongue from pressing against the teeth. Further back on the sides there are normal ridges of tissue called foliate papillae that people sometimes notice for the first time. Any lump, sore or patch on the side of the tongue that lasts more than 2 weeks should be examined, because that's a common site for oral cancer, even though most spots there are harmless.
Can a lie bump be cancer?
A lie bump isn't cancer and doesn't turn into cancer. It's tender, shows up suddenly and goes away in days. Oral cancer is different: it tends to be a painless sore, lump or red or white patch that doesn't heal. If a bump on your tongue hasn't gone away in 2 weeks, have it checked. A biopsy is the only way to know for sure, and most turn out to be harmless.
Why do I keep getting lie bumps?
Repeat lie bumps usually mean a trigger is still around. Look for a sharp tooth or appliance that rubs the same spot, a toothpaste or flavoring that irritates you, sour or spicy candy, or stress. Some people with allergies just seem to get them more. If they keep coming back, a dental visit can help find and fix the cause.
When should I see a dentist for a bump on my tongue?
See a dentist if a bump hasn't gone away in 2 weeks, is painless and firm, keeps growing, keeps coming back in the same spot, or sits next to a sharp tooth or filling. A child with a high fever and a red, bumpy tongue should see a doctor the same day. And if you just aren't sure what it is, it's fine to come in and have it looked at.
Bump on your tongue that won't go away?
If you're in the Jacksonville area and a bump on your tongue keeps coming back, hasn't gone away in two weeks, or just doesn't look right to you, we're glad to take a look. Most turn out to be harmless, and it's nice to know for sure.
Related conditions
Sources
- Whitaker SB, Krupa JJ, Singh BB. Transient lingual papillitis. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 1996;82(4):441–445.
- Kalogirou EM, Tosios KI, Nikitakis NG, Kamperos G, Sklavounou A. Transient lingual papillitis: a retrospective study of 11 cases and review of the literature. J Clin Exp Dent. 2017;9(1):e157–e162.
- Roux O, Lacour JP. Eruptive lingual papillitis with household transmission: a prospective clinical study. Br J Dermatol. 2004;150(2):299–303.
- Raji K, Ranario J, Ogunmakin K. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire: a case of transient lingual papillitis following consumption of an Atomic Fireball. Dermatol Online J. 2016;22(5).
- Nuño González A, et al. Are oral mucosal changes a sign of COVID-19? A cross-sectional study at a field hospital. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2021;112(7):640–644.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Risk of serious and potentially fatal blood disorder prompts FDA action on oral over-the-counter benzocaine products. 2018.
This page is for general education and isn't a diagnosis. Every mouth is different. If you have a sore you're worried about, see your dentist or physician. Photos marked Wikimedia Commons are used under their listed licenses and may have been cropped or resized.