Small red dots on the tongue are normally the lingual papillae on the dorsum of the tongue, and in disease conditions it may be the occurrence of lingual papillitis, as follows.
1. Normal condition: there are lingual papillae on the back of the tongue, of which the fungiform papillae are mushroom-shaped, scattered among the filiform papillae and red in color.
2. In case of disease: when inflammation occurs in the fungiform papillae, the papillae are swollen, congested and burning. If the swelling is obvious, the epithelium becomes thin and dark red, and the anterior part of the dorsal part of the tongue is shaped like a strawberry, which is called strawberry tongue or prune tongue, and the prune tongue is sometimes seen in patients with scarlet fever or patients with mucocutaneous lymphadenopathy syndrome.
There may be other reasons for small red dots on the tongue, if other symptoms occur, it is recommended to go to the hospital in time to receive early professional treatment.