Oral leukoplakia
Overview
A mouth characterized by white spots or patches in the mucous membranes on the tongue and inside the mouth.
Symptoms
* White patch inside mouth * White patch on tongue
Causes
The actual mechanism that causes leukoplakia is unknown. However there are certain factors that have been linked with the development of leukoplakia, most of them related with the mouth's reaction to chronic irritation of the mucous membranes. The possible causes of leukoplakia include : Smoking and chewing tobacco. Epidemiological data show that tobacco use is related with most cases of leukoplakia. People who chew tobacco develop leukoplakia at a higher rate and usually at the exact spot where they hold the tobacco against their cheeks. Another evidence implicating tobacco is that the condition improves or disappears some time after stopping its use. Long-term alcohol use is also associated with leukoplakia, as it causes long term irritation of the mouth. Mechanical irritation, caused by rough edges of teeth, fillings, crowns or dentures rubbing against the cheeks or gums, is another cause of leukoplakia. Oral cancer. In a small percentage of cases, leukoplakia proves to be a pre-malignant lesion.
Prevention
1. Tobacco Cessation 2. Alcohol cessation
Diagnosis
Oral Leukoplakia is normally diagnosed by examining the white patches in the mouth or the fuzzy manifestation of hairy leukoplakia on the tongue, after excluding other diseases that could cause similar symptoms, such as oral thrush. Leukoplakia symptoms can be an early sign of oral cancer. To exclude this possibility, dentists usually remove a small tissue sample from the patch for analysis (biopsy). The sample will be examined for cancerous cells. You should allways visit a dentist if you notice any sign of persistent abnormality in your mouth. Many diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and others cause this kind of symptoms.