Treatment
Mild oral lichen planus may need only periodic monitoring and special mouthwashes that can temporarily numb or soothe a painful mouth.
For more severe symptoms, the options include:
- Ointments or gels (corticosteroids and immune-modifying medicines) to reduce pain and heal ulcers
- Oral medications to suppress your body's immune response
- Changing medications you take for other conditions, if they seem to trigger oral lichen planus
- Removing certain dental materials and repairing dental problems that irritate your mouth
- Medication to treat infections such as thrush, which is sometimes associated with oral lichen planus
- Therapy and medication for stress
At Mayo Clinic you are typically scheduled for an annual follow-up exam to screen for mouth cancer.
Read more about treatment of oral lichen planus.
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