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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Oral lichen planus signs and symptoms may include one or more of the following:
- Small, pale raised areas or bumps that form a lacy network on your tongue or inside your cheeks
- Shiny, red, slightly raised patches on your tongue or cheeks
- Red, open sores in your mouth
- Mouth pain
- Burning in your mouth
- Dry mouth
- A sense that your mouth feels rough
- Sore gums
- Sensitivity to hot or spicy foods
- A metallic taste or a blunted taste sensation
- Burning, swelling, bleeding and irritation with tooth brushing
Oral lichen planus usually causes only a limited lacy network of pale, slightly raised areas or shiny, red, raised patches on the sides of your tongue or inside your cheeks. Less commonly, it may turn in to a painful erosive lesion, or ulcer. Sometimes oral lichen planus causes no signs or symptoms other than the raised areas or patches. You may have periods when your oral lichen planus flares up, alternating with periods when you're symptom-free.
When you have oral lichen planus, you may also have the skin form, called lichen planus. You may notice lesions on other parts of your body, including your skin, scalp, nails and genitals.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor or dentist if you:
- Notice sores inside your mouth that don't heal
- Have lumps or white, red or dark patches in your mouth
- Have mouth pain
- Have a loss of feeling inside your mouth
- Have repeated bleeding in your mouth
- Notice any change in the way your mouth looks and feels
- Have lesions or sores on your skin, scalp, nails or genitals
