Fissured, hairy, and geographic tongue

In patients with fissured tongue, debris that becomes lodged within the fissures may be removed with a scraper. Patients who experience a burning sensation with hot and spicy food should avoid eating it. Predisposing factors such oral mucosal pain, whether inflammatory in nature or secondary to conditions such as burning mouth syndrome, may need to be addressed.

Patients with hairy tongue should be encouraged to improve oral hygiene practices but should be cautioned against overzealous tongue brushing, as this could potentially stimulate further reactive keratinization of the filiform papillae.

Patients with geographic tongue who experience a burning sensation with hot and spicy foods should avoid them.