Medically reviewed by Edmund Khoo, DDS An unhealthy tongue may look red, smooth, or black. Other signs of tongue health ...

lines the surface of your tongue. You will notice papillae, which look like small bumps on the back of your tongue. Your taste buds, which help you taste the salty, sweet, or sour flavors of food ...

It describes symptoms like glossitis (a red and swollen tongue) that occur with COVID-19. You may also notice bumps on the back of your tongue, sores that appear on the side, or a white coating.

The tongue is covered in lots of little bumps. On the walls and grooves of these bumps are thousands of tiny taste buds, too small for the human eye to see. The buds sense the taste of everything ...