Awaiting diagnosis of OLP!

Skin, nail and hair health
1

Hi 

I saw my dentist 7 week ago who said he saw white patch on the inside of cheek and said had I been stressed. Changing jobs, new baby on the way and I generally worry about everything! He asked me to return if the patch hasnt gone and yesterday i returned to dentist  and patch remains. Dentist states he is 99% sure its OLP but sending me for a biopsy in a few week.

He states its not sinister and I have had this for at least 7 weeks with no symptoms may have been there up to 6 months!

I have no pain, sores can feel it to touch and see in a mirror so I have currently gotten of lightly but wondering what to expect as googles a mine field and keep finding the dreaded C word that stresses me further being a new dad!

Any support or advice welcome 

1 Like
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Hi, I’ve had OLP diagnosed by biopsy for about 7 Years. I was a smoker at the time the white spots/streaks were seen in my mouth so when I was waiting in the chair for those biopsy results I got a serious reality check. I did have precancerous cells but when I gave up smoking luckily things were ok. There’s a very minor risk of  OLP developing into oral cancer which is of course increased if you’re a smoker. If yours is stress related I don’t think you’ve much to worry about. Easier said then done I know! I get flare ups every few years or so always caused by stress. 

You may be prescribed steroids that you swish around your mouth & spit out. That always resolves mine. Hope you are reassured a bit. 

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Hi Anthony. Like you I was diagnosed with oral lichen planus as well and I was terrified of having cancer in my mouth. They did a biopsy on me and good news is it is definitely not cancer. The oral surgeon told me that if you have cancer in your mouth you will know very quickly within 24 hours because it would become a lump in your mouth. The white patch is probably a lace like patch which is very typical with oral lichen planus. Good luck with your biopsy. It's always easy for them to tell you to avoid stress but unfortunately for some of us that's not an option. What I can tell you is stay away from sugar and any kind of acidic food especially vinegars citrus fruits crunchy foods and salty foods. Lichen planus feeds on these things

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Thank you for the replies 

It's definitely a lacey white patch in my inner cheek! I was convinced it was from me biting my gum in the night as I have history of teeth grinding but dentist convinced its not that!

Hopefully it's nothing serious and if its OLP i can continue to have minimal issues!

I feel im checking it in the mirror every 5 minutes!

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Still awaiting my appointment for my potential biopsy for OLP. I find myself checking my mouth every hour to see if OLP has changed and begin finding smaller bumps and red patches in my mouth! These things probably have been coming and going for 30 plus years but since the dentpointed the lacey white patch I keep thinking I have developed something else!

Still no other symptoms apart from painless white patch, just wish I had this appointment to ease  my mind!!

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I feel for you but i am glad for you got a biopsy done in a short time.

In my case, it took 7 months to get a first appointment, that was with the reluctance from the surgery to expedite my appointment.

When i did finally go, the clinician could not see anything, even my doctor could see it and felt it through a pair of gloves , so i insisted on seeing a oral surgeon, he was a cancer surgeon, he looked and get around my neck and said he didn’t think it was anything sinister, but if i wanted they would give me biopsy, from a clinician who couldn’t see anything.

I went to dentist while waiting for my biopsy which was in three months.

My dentist took a picture said it was urgent that i get it looked at, and sent me to another hospital. In two day that hospital rung me, gave me an appointment in three days, then a biopsy a week later, and now i have been put with another consultant, I don’t know why.

That’s three appointments in five weeks, this could mean a big difference.

But when i put all my symptoms into the search engine, i realised that the white cracked paving, the dry mouth at night, my tongue bleeding constantly, and i have developed a lot more problems in that wasted year, it was not this bad when it started last November, that’s how hard i had to fight, had they sent me to that great hospital in the first place, i my treatment would have been a year ago.

I wish you all the best, i have a daughter too, but i am a lot older.

I am glad for you, that you got seen to earlier and promptly, unlike me.

I will find out my fate on the 4th December, it could have been last December, it has been hell going through not knowing and not sleeping my tongue burning and just exhausted from lack of sleep also the pain.

All the best Rich.