My tongue seems to have a whitish coating on it that doesn't go away with scraping. the tip is red. what kind of issue could this be?

Thrush?: It could be candidiasis or thrush. It could also be discoloraction from smoking if you are a smoker and there are many other things that it could be that cannot be determined without a proper exam. You need to make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible.

Bacterial infection?: It sounds like some organism is growing on youjr tongue. Have somebody send in a sample so it can be cultured and idenmtified, a quick fix could be an antiseptic oral rinse.

Most likely it is : The most likely and common causes of a whitish coating on the tongue are leukoplakia, lichen planus and candidiasis. The only way to know for sure is to see your dentist or an oral surgeon who can diagnose it. It is possible that you will need a biopsy of the tissue in order to confirm the initial diagnosis. It's also important to rule out precancerous lesions.

See below : This could be a thrush or candida infection. Get a full glass of water in the morning and spit in it before you do anything. Check every 15 min if you have candida you will see "strings" or the saliva will sink, if its still floating after i hr you probably don't have candida you should see your dentist. A reddish tongue tip could be a thyroid or heart problem..See your dentist first.