Drs. James and Samuel Owens can determine the source of oral thrush and give you appropriate treatment. If you or anyone in your family has thrush, call and make an appointment at 918.455.7700.
Thrush is the name of a mouth infection caused by the Candida fungus. While Candida fungus lives in many people’s mouths, it can overgrow and cause oral thrush. This condition is a surface infection and can affect the corners of your mouth, the tongue, the roof of your mouth, the inside of the cheeks and the throat.
Thrush is a common in babies
It is common for babies to have thrush. Newborns can acquire this fungus during delivery if the mother suffered from a yeast infection. Children develop thrush symptoms within 7-10 days after birth. Newborns with the infection can pass it back to the mother while nursing. The disease could be passed back and forth, making recovery impossible.
Older children and adults can also suffer from thrush
Older children and adults can suffer from thrush too. There are a few reasons how this could happen, for instance, if –
- They have a disease or take certain medication that affects their immune system.
- They undergo cancer chemotherapy or steroid therapy
- If they are under antibiotics treatment
Antibiotics are known to disturb the healthy population of bacteria in the mouth. When the healthy bacteria are gone, the candida fungus can grow without any competition. The people who suffer from dry mouth or have less saliva are more prone to develop thrush. Dry mouth is not a condition that comes with age and is mostly the result of over-the-counter and prescription medication.
People who wear complete dentures or who have diabetes or HIV are more likely to get thrush. Senior citizens or those who are malnourished could also suffer from thrush.
Previously researchers have proven that Candida biofilms grow on braces2, a problem that is worse if the individual starts out with a baseline of Candida in the mouth3. This problem is a significant health concern for over 50% of those wearing braces. Teens with a history of antibiotics, a high-sugar junk food diet, and high stress are more likely to be at risk.
Symptoms of thrush
The first thrush symptom you may encounter may be a bad taste in the mouth, followed by the decreasing sense of taste. Thrush can cause white patches inside the mouth (that look like cottage cheese). These spots usually form on the roof of your mouth, tongue, corners of your mouth, and back of the throat. If you scrape off the surface of the patch, you will find underneath a red, inflamed area. Having cracked, moist, red area in the corners of your mouth is also a sign of thrush. In some cases, the white patches cause pain, especially in babies, creating them discomfort while nursing.
Thrush diagnosis
Thrush is a condition that dentists can diagnose by looking into your mouth. The white patches are scraped off with a gauze pad or tongue blade. Your dentist may send a sample of the scrapings to a special laboratory for testing. In rare occasions, a biopsy will be needed, where a small piece of the skin is removed to be examined in the laboratory. Most patients receive a diagnosis based on the evaluations done by your dentist.
If you are suffering from thrush often, it may suggest you are having an undiagnosed medical illness, such as cancer, diabetes, or HIV. To determine if you are suffering from any of these, you will need to do a couple of tests, including blood tests by a physician.
Thrush is not a dangerous condition and could disappear after a week, but it could also indicate that you are having certain health problems. It’s always best to have it checked by the dentist when you first notice oral thrush on yourself or your child.
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