So, this only came up because I developed a small pimple-like thing on the roof of my mouth. I thought it was something stuck, scraped at it (to unstick whatever it was) and the pimple-thing popped. Nothing that I know of came out, so I assumed it was a blocked salivary duct. Being the intelligent person I am, I kept tonguing it, causing irritation in an area of my mouth extremely close to the first.

And, being the neurotic person I am, I Googled "small white bump roof of mouth." Well, the oral herpes images didn't look like what I have (the one on my hard palette is now a pin-head sized red scab and the other is a small irritated dent).

HOWEVER (yay for getting to the point) I saw images that remind me of white "scabs" I've gotten throughout the years. They're never painful, and almost look like white, dead skin. They show up on my gums and cheeks and heal over the course of 3 or 4 days.

Every so often, I get something similar on my lips and I always just assumed I'd chewed in my sleep.

This has been recurrent for as long as I can remember - at least 12 or 13 years old (obviously well before I was sexually active). I'm a cheek chewer, so I always passed it off as scabs/lesions from that, and when I'd see one on my gums I assumed I'd scratched it on something. After all, the ones on my cheek were from chewing so the ones on my gums must be from irritation...So, of course, I never mentioned it to my doctor. They never hurt, I had a logical explanation and they'd always heal up on their own. Why see a doctor about it?

Thinking about it, I have fewer white scabs when I'm totally Paleo, which I attributed to (a) less stress therefore less chewing and (b) not eating foods that will rip up my gums. Am I being silly (neurotic) or is it actually possible to have a herpes infection for that long without ever realizing it?

It is much more likely that you get minor cancer sores. They are small, white and form mostly on the inside of your mouth. Oral herpes breakouts last for days to weeks, are tingly at first, then painful and spread in size if picked at.

I often get irritations in my mouth similar to what you're describing from eating foods that I'm not used to eating now like if I eat too much sugar or wheat. Tomatoes and chocolate also seem to irritate my mouth and sometimes I'll get what seem to be inflamed taste buds on the tip of my tongue.

Cold sores as far as I'm aware generally occur on and around the skin of the lips. As TChice said, they start off tingly, kind of like a pimple but then break out into a painful blistery type thing.

Canker sores. Cancer sores sounds like something that could kill you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphthous_ulcer

Yes - CanKer sores. Oops.

One thing that might help you decipher what it is - when it occurs, use a flash light and have some one take a picture every day. Keep a log of when it occured (dates), how long it lasted, pics of it, what did you eat for the last 2-3 days before it come up, and what mood were you in (extremely stressed/angry, etc)

I will get canker sores in my mouth and on my tongue if I eat too much Vit C - acidic foods. Also potatoe chips will tear up the roof of my mouth and gums.

But white blisters that pop.... I think I would wait till that comes up again and would go to the doctor. The only time I've had that is when I caught a virus.

And yea, you can have herpes for years and not know it. Depending on the strain and the stegnth of the virus - you may never see a break out unless under extreme stress (mental or physical).

Thanks, guys. I was talking to my girlfriend about it, and she said when she worked in a dentist's office people came in with canker sores worried about herpes. Apparently the two can look the same. Another point she made was, if it was herpes, my ex-husband would be showing symptoms by now...if ya know what I mean. :P

bonechew, I'll keep a log. I haven't had any in quite some time, but the blisters did worry me.

TChice...cancer sores...lol. I don't want those!

oblong, I also get the inflamed taste buds. During my Hell Month last year, when grandma was in the hospital, I had a few swollen up on the back of my tongue, to the point I felt them all the time. I feared a tumor or [something], just from how huge the lump was, but the dentist said it was just inflammation. Took almost 2 months for them to go down, and they're more prone to swell now.