Live Life Team
It is spread by a fungus named candida which causes infection inside the mouth, but it is not contagious. Other places that can be affected by this fungus are the vaginal area, nappy area and the nail folds. It is seen that some of the antibiotics can cause this condition to recur or aggravate the already existing condition. Mouth drying due to Chemotherapy and radiation to the neck and head or a particular drug can cause thrush in the mouth.
Symptoms
Patients wearing dentures for too long can have red areas formed in those places; people who do not wear dentures generally develop white spots on the tongue region. These spots can come together to form a plaque or a huger spot, when they are wiped off they leave red marks. After a strong dosage of steroids or antibiotics they tend to become sore and red at the corner of the mouth, which is termed as angular stomatitis or angular cheilitis.
Causes
They are caused when the fungus in the mouth start increasing largely. The main reasons for this fungus to multiply are that the immune system gradually weakens (immuno-deficiency). The bacteria that are normally considered healthy inside the mouth are killed. The quantity of saliva produced decreases or the acidity inside the mouth varies.
Diagnosis
Thrush can easily be diagnosed in case of babies just by looking at the spots developed near the mouth region. In some cases the sample has to be scraped of from the infected region and be sent for analysis in a laboratory. In certain cases that involve dentures and antibiotics, they are examined thoroughly and then suitable treatment is prescribed.
Treatment
This condition should be treated immediately and cured, if not, people who wear dentures can have badly fitting dentures in future. Patients can also suffer from soreness that leads to inconvenience while consuming food.
It is important to maintain a good oral hygiene; patients (and other in general) are advised to rinse the mouth thoroughly after meals. Smokers are alerted to keep their mouths clean as smoking provides necessary conditions for the fungus to thrive on and multiply. Using dentures 24 hours a day will also lead to this condition. Good hygiene and maintenance of the dentures is advised because the fungus tends to survive at the fitting surfaces of the dentures.
They should be cleaned with warm soapy water and the fittings should be brushed thoroughly with a nailbrush. If hygiene does not help medication is prescribed, this needs to be sucked in slowly. The treatment may extend to one month. The doctor will check the mouth thoroughly to confirm that the lesions have cleared up, if not further treatment is prescribed. The dentures have to be replaced every few years and though there are no teeth left, it’s advisable to visit a dentist regularly for the mouth to remain healthy.
Prevention
While using steroid inhalers, it’s advisable to use spacers in between as this can prevent oral thrushes.
When the mouth is dry due to intake of antibiotics it’s advisable to drink water frequently.
