The prevalence of fissured tongue within the United States has been reported as 2% to 5%. The prevalence worldwide varies and has been reported in some areas to be as high as 21%.[1]Bouquot JE, Gundlach KKH. Odd tongues: the prevalence of common tongue lesions in 23,616 white Americans over 35 years of age. Quintessence Int. 1986;17:719-30.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3466199?tool=bestpractice.com
Patients usually have fissured tongue from childhood, but the condition may become more prominent with increasing age.
Prevalence of hairy tongue varies widely, and is reported with increased frequency in tobacco smokers, and heavy tea and/or coffee drinkers.[6]Bouquot JE. Common oral lesions found during a mass screening examination. J Am Dent Assoc. 1986;112:50-7.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3455995?tool=bestpractice.com
[7]Avcu N, Kanli A. The prevalence of tongue lesions in 5150 Turkish dental outpatients. Oral Dis. 2003;9:188-95.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12974518?tool=bestpractice.com
[8]Darwazeh AM, Pillai K. Prevalence of tongue lesions in 1013 Jordanian dental outpatients. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1993;21:323-4.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8222611?tool=bestpractice.com
[9]Farman AG. Hairy tongue (lingua villosa). J Oral Med. 1997;32:85-91.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20488?tool=bestpractice.com
[10]Motallebnejad M, Babaee N, Sakhdari S, et al. An epidemiologic study of tongue lesions in 1901 Iranian dental outpatients. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2008;9:73-80.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18997919?tool=bestpractice.com
[11]Redman RS. Prevalence of geographic tongue, fissured tongue, median rhomboid glossitis, and hairy tongue among 3,611 Minnesota schoolchildren. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1970;30:390-5.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5270895?tool=bestpractice.com
Geographic tongue is considered to occur in approximately 1 in 30 adults worldwide.[12]Pereira RDPL, de Oliveira JMD, Pauletto P, et al. Worldwide prevalence of geographic tongue in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Dis. 2022 Oct 8 [Epub ahead of print].
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36208129?tool=bestpractice.com