Dental hygiene and care are important no matter what age you are. From small babies to older seniors and everyone in-between, taking charge of your oral health is an issue that should be addressed often. One common oral problem, oral thrush, is a condition that is seen in many individuals.
What is Oral Thrush?
Oral candidiasis, or oral thrush as it is commonly known, is an oral condition in which a fungus called “Candida albicans” begins to accumulate on the inside lining of the mouth. While candida is a normal type of organism that is in everyone’s mouth, it often becomes overgrown. When this happens, the symptoms of thrush can occur. The inner cheeks, tongue, gums, tonsils, roof of the mouth, and back of the throat can be affected by oral thrush. While anyone can develop this condition, oral thrush is often seen in small babies and older adults. This is because both age groups have reduced immunity. For an individual who is healthy, oral thrush is generally a minor problem. However, those with a weakened immune system could develop symptoms that are more severe than normal and harder to control.
What Causes Oral Thrush?
There are a few factors that can increase the risk of oral thrush in babies and adults. The following problems can increase your risk of oral thrush:
A weakened immunity system- Oral thrush occurs more in seniors and infants because they are the age group that has a reduced immunity system. There are a number of medical conditions that will suppress the immune system, such as cancer, aids, and organ transplantation. Many of the drugs necessary for the treatment of these diseases can also suppress the immune system, making it easier for a person to develop thrush.
Medications- Some medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids, prednisone, or certain types of antibiotics that disrupt the natural balance of the microorganisms found in the body, can increase the risk of developing oral thrush.
Diabetes- Uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes can cause your saliva to contain much larger amounts of sugar than normal. This encourages candida to grow.
Yeast infections- A mother with a vaginal yeast infection can pass it on to her baby in the form of thrush. This is because the same fungus that causes vaginal yeast infections also causes oral thrush.
What are the Symptoms of Oral Thrush?
Some patients aren’t aware that they have oral thrush at first. The signs and symptoms of the condition could include:
• Creamy white lesions on the inner cheeks and tongue. They may also appear on the tonsils, gums, and roof of the mouth
• Burning, redness, or pain that is bad enough to make eating and swallowing difficult
• Loss of taste
• Slightly raised lesions in the mouth that look like cottage cheese
• A feeling of having cotton in the mouth
• Redness or cracking in the corners of the mouth
• A small amount of blood if the lesions get scraped or rubbed too hard
How Do You Treat Oral Thrush?
There are a number of ways to treat oral thrush. However, the age and overall health of the individual will be the best determination on how to proceed with treatment.
Infants and mothers who are nursing- Infants who have oral thrush and are nursing may pass the infection to the mother, who will then pass it back to them. A mild antifungal medication may be prescribed for the baby. The mother may receive an antifungal cream for her breasts, as well.
Adults and children- In most cases, an antifungal medication may be prescribed for adults and children who present with the symptoms of thrush. Most topical medications come in liquids, tablets, or lozenges that are to be swished around in the mouth and then swallowed. In the event that these medications do not work, another alternative is a medicine that will work throughout the entire body. In addition, the dentist will talk to the patient to find out if there are any underlying causes that could be the culprit of oral thrush. Eliminating these causes can prevent additional outbreaks from occurring.
While oral thrush is common, it is a condition that can be painful and irritating to deal with, the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa can determine whether or not oral thrush is a concern in a patient. If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of oral thrush, contact us immediately to book an appointment.
