what is geographic tongue
Geographic tongue. Geographic tongue is a harmless condition affecting the surface of your tongue. The tongue is normally covered with tiny, pinkish-white bumps (papillae), which are actually short, fine, hair-like projections.With geographic tongue, patches on the surface of the tongue are missing papillae and appear as smooth, red islands, often with slightly raised borders.These patches (lesions) give the tongue a map-like, or geographic, appearance.ith geographic tongue, patches on the surface of the tongue are missing papillae and appear as smooth, red islands, often with slightly raised borders. These patches (lesions) give the tongue a map-like, or geographic, appearance.