The mouth

Leukoplakia

• White thickening of the tongue or oral mucosa
• This is a premalignant lesion and should be referred

Aphthous ulcers

• Causes;
  • Crohns and coeliacs disease
  • Behcet’s
  • Trauma
  • Erythema multiforme
  • Lichen planus
  • Pemphigus and pemphigoid
  • Infections – herpes simplex, syphilis

Candidiasis

• Patches may e hard to remove and bleed if you scrap them

Cheilitis (angular stomatitis)

• Fissuring of the corners of the mouth
• Caused by;
  • Denture problems
  • Candidiasis
  • Iron deficiency
  • Vitamin B2 deficiency (riboflavin)

Gingivitis

• Gum inflammation and hypertrophy. Occurs with;
  • Poor oral hygiene
  • Drugs – phenytoin, cyclosporine, nifedipine
  • Pregnancy
  • Vit C deficiency
  • Acute myeloid leukaemia

Teeth

• A blue line at the gum-tooth margin is associated with lead poisoning
• White bands on the teeth are caused by excessive fluoride

Tongue

• Glossitis – a smooth, red, sore tongue. Caused by iron, folate of Vit B12 deficiency
• Macroglossia – tongue too big. Associated with hypothyroidism, acromegaly, amyloid
• Tongue cancer – appears as a raised ulcer on the edge of the tongue. The main risks are smoking and alcohol