186 Where There Is No Dentist 2012
1. White or yellow patches in the mouth
(thrush, oral candidiasis)
White, yellow,
or (sometimes)
red patches. The
patches in this
picture are behind
the bottom, front
teeth, but they
most often appear
on the roof of the
mouth and the top
of the tongue.
Thrush is the most common infection in the mouth seen in people with
HIV infection. Thrush can also be a problem for people who do not have
HIV. For more information about this, see page 105.
signs:
• A burning or swelling feeling in the mouth, especially when eating
spicy foods. Because of pain, eating and swallowing become more
and more difficult.
• The skin inside the mouth is usually covered with white, yellow, or
red patches. If you try to remove the white patches with a clean
cloth, they will come off, but sometimes leave a bleeding red
surface underneath. In some people they may not come off easily.
In a few people, there are no white patches. Instead, the skin of the
mouth is red and blotchy. It may look very rough.
• Sometimes there are painful cracks
at the corners of the mouth that
will not heal and sometimes bleed.