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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffMost often, you can prevent leukoplakia by:
- Avoiding all tobacco products. This is one of the best steps you can take for your overall health, as well as being one of the main ways to prevent leukoplakia. Talk to your doctor about methods to help you quit. If friends or family members continue to smoke or chew tobacco, encourage them to have frequent dental checkups. Oral cancers are usually painless until fairly advanced.
- Avoiding or limiting alcohol use. Alcohol is a factor in both leukoplakia and oral cancer. Combining alcohol and smoking may make it easier for the harmful chemicals in tobacco to penetrate the tissues in your mouth.
- Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. These are rich in antioxidants such as beta carotene, which reduce the risk of leukoplakia by deactivating harmful oxygen molecules before they can damage tissues. Foods rich in beta carotene include dark yellow, orange, and green fruits and vegetables, including carrots, pumpkin, squash, cantaloupe and spinach.
References
- Goldstein BG, et al. Oral lesions. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 29, 2010.
- Detecting oral cancer: A guide for health care professionals. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/OralCancer/DetectingOralCancer.htm. Accessed Aug. 30, 2010.
- Sciubba JJ. Oral mucosal lesions. In: Cummings CW. Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05283-2..00092-6&isbn=978-0-323-05283-2&sid=1047132055&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05283-2..00092-6--s0045&uniqId=217089811-5#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05283-2..00092-6--s0045 Accessed Sept.1, 2010. Accessed Sept. 1, 2010.
- Habif TP. Leukoplakia. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby: 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00030-4--s0565&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=1047127391&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00030-4--s0565&uniqId=217089811-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00030-4--s0565. Accessed Sept. 1, 2010.
- Reamy BV, et al. Common tongue conditions in primary care. American Family Physician. 2010;81:627.
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