Oral Thrush

Oral Thrush

Oral thrush — also called oral candidiasis is a condition in which the fungus Candida albicans accumulates on the lining of your mouth. Candida is a normal organism in your mouth, but sometimes it can overgrow and cause symptoms.

Oral thrush causes creamy white lesions, usually on your tongue or inner cheeks. Sometimes oral thrush may spread to the roof of your mouth, your gums or tonsils, or the back of your throat.

Normally, your immune system works to repel harmful invading organisms, such as viruses, bacteria and fungi, while maintaining a balance between "good" and "bad" microbes that normally inhabit your body. But sometimes these protective mechanisms fail, increasing the number of candida fungus and allowing an oral thrush infection to take hold.

The most common type of candida fungus is Candida albicans. Several factors, such as a weakened immune system, can increase your risk of oral thrush.

Symptoms

Children and adults

Initially, you may not even notice symptoms of oral thrush. Signs and symptoms may include:

  • Creamy white lesions on your tongue, inner cheeks, and sometimes on the roof of your mouth, gums and tonsils

  • Slightly raised lesions with a cottage cheese-like appearance

  • Redness, burning or soreness that may be severe enough to cause difficulty eating or swallowing

  • Slight bleeding if the lesions are rubbed or scraped

  • Cracking and redness at the corners of your mouth

  • A cottony feeling in your mouth

  • Loss of taste

  • Redness, irritation and pain under dentures (denture stomatitis)

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Prevention

These measures may help reduce your risk of developing candida infections:

  • Rinse your mouth. If you need to use a corticosteroid inhaler, be sure to rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth after taking your medication.

  • Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss daily or as often as your dentist recommends.

  • Check your dentures. Remove your dentures at night. Make sure dentures fit properly and don't cause irritation. Clean your dentures daily. Ask your dentist for the best way to clean your type of dentures.

  • See your dentist regularly, especially if you have diabetes or wear dentures. Ask your dentist how often you need to be seen.

  • Watch what you eat. Try limiting the amount of sugar-containing foods you eat. These may encourage the growth of candida.

  • Maintain good blood sugar control if you have diabetes. Well-controlled blood sugar can reduce the amount of sugar in your saliva, discouraging the growth of candida.

  • Treat a vaginal yeast infection as soon as possible.

  • Treat dry mouth. Ask your doctor about ways to avoid or treat your dry mouth.