A mouth ulcer that doesn’t heal White patches on the tongue

Could signal THRUSH

Could signal CANCER

Mouth ulcers can be caused by many things, including poorly fitting dentures, erupting wisdom teeth, infections, medication, dietary deficiencies or damage caused while brushing and they are very common.

But if you have a mouth ulcer that isn’t healing, seek help. “Ulceration that hasn’t healed after two weeks could be a sign of something more serious,” says dentist Susie. “It could signify mouth cancer so it’s important to speak to your dentist who can refer you to a specialist for further tests.”

“If you find that you have white patches or spots on the tongue it can indicate a fungal infection, such as oral thrush,” says Neil Sikka. “It’s usually harmless and can be easily treated with mouth gel from the pharmacy.

However if you see a hard, flat, white area that can’t be scraped away it could be leukoplakia, which is linked to cancer.

“It’s important to let your dentist know about any white patches you see on your tongue which haven’t gone away after a fortnight.”