Mouth Sores
By Dr. Linda Niessen -- Baylor College of Dentistry STORY: MOUTH SORES (lichen planus) SCRIPT # 494 SHOOT: 1/15/03
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Topical steroids ease pain of chronic mouth sores
01/20/2003
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For more than a year, Jane Blackman suffered from debilitating mouth pain.
“Like ulcerations in my mouth. There are many things you cannot eat. It hurts to brush, to floss,” Blackman said.
Jane has lichen planus. One hundred years ago, the condition got the name because it resembled tree moss. But lichen planus has nothing to do with moss. And it remains a very mysterious problem.
You can suddenly develop lacy-white streaks, or white spots in your mouth. In more advanced cases, painful ulcers occur.
“And there is still many people who believe there is no good treatment. But we’ve started using more potent topical steroids and they are generally very effective,” said Dr. Terry Rees said. Rees of Baylor College of Dentistry is an internationally recognized authority on lichen planus.
“When a patient has a dry mouth, a patient is more susceptible, much more likely to develop lichen planus,” Rees said.
If you have a dry mouth problem, you run a greater risk of developing lichen planus. The condition can develop as a mysterious allergy.
“And those kinds of allergies may be to toothpaste, certain types of chewing gum, mints, or even some dental filling materials,” Rees said.
After months of treatment with several different topical medications, Blackman can eat one of her favorite foods again: popcorn.
“In fact it’s cleared up except for little occurrences,” Blackman said.
Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.
