The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between the number of fungiform papillae on the tongue and the occurrence of dental caries in 18-21 year-olds. One hundred and fifteen undergraduate students of K.L.E Society's Institute of Dental Sciences participated in this cross-sectional study. The subjects were selected by simple random sampling. The data on brushing habits, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and taste preferences were collected by a self-administered questionnaire, and the DMFT index of all subjects was recorded by a single examiner. Based on the DMFT index, the individuals were categorised into low caries (0-5), moderate caries (6-9), and high caries (≥10) groups. The fungiform papillae were identified using Brilliant Blue FCF (E133) dye, which was applied on the anterior part of the tongue on a 6mm diameter circular area. The area was photographed with a digital camera, and these photographs were used to quantify the fungiform papillae. In this study we established a relationship between fungiform papillae count and caries experience in different caries groups. Keywords: fungiform papillae, caries experience