should i go to a doctor or a dentist?

Question

i have white spots on the sides of my tongue that get thick and then slough off.
i have two bumps that stay white all the time. any ideas on what this is?

Answer 1

sounds like you need a doctor not a dentist!

Answer 2

that would be your dentist. doctors really know very little about the mouth while dentists take 4 years of oral pathology. your doctor is just going to give you antibiotics while a dentist, who looks in at least 40 mouths a day will know what it is instantly. remember that md's have to learn everything else about the body so they let us take care of the mouth. i'm sure your doctor would take your money though.

other people's postings are a wake up call though. dentistry needs to do a better job of marketing apparently since so many people think that all we do is teeth.

Answer 3

I'm pretty sure Tom (and I) would think "oral surgeon" or "oral medicine" for leukoplakia. Jeez. I find the attitude of some MD's to be very condescending. Most that I work with appreciate my knowledge of the oral cavity, which they admit was just a route to pass through on the way to checking the throat. Some days I follow behind the MD's and save THEM the embarrassment of misdiagnosis and all the potential bad sequelae. I do work with ORL's and oral surgeons and oral medicine specialists, including a past president of the American Academy of Oral Medicine, a DMD who spends half his time training ORL residents.

Answer 4

ask tomh311 what he is going to do with the spots when he realizes its leukoplakia, or it develops into erythroplakia, and you get a biopsy and realize it is cancer - ask him to do the partial glossectomy or possible neck dissection and see what he says.... Maybe HE'LL take your money, tell you its nothing (or give you some antibiotics or topical stuff, and sit on it for a couple months while it festers, BUT, I AM PRETTY SURE HE'LL BE SENDING YOU TO AN OTOLARYNGOLOGIST (AN M.D.)
Anyway, it may be nothing, but I think you should have an EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT specialist look at it. The different diagnoses for oral cavity lesions is very extensive, so have someone look at it (yeast, irritation, tumor, trauma, papilloma, and even things like intestinal and systemic diseases may cause mouth lumps and bumps).
Don't be angry, though, tomh311, I am sure you do a great job cleaning peoples teeth and telling them to floss.

P.S. And I quote "he'll probably take your money though." Hey Sam, talk about condescending, and insulting.

Answer 5

Listen to Tom and Sam, and Oral Surgeon/DDS can help answer question better than the MD. The MD will bill you and send you to the Oral surgeon so you'll have to pay twice. Boogr pkr has a terrible bedside manner, hope he doesn't treat patients the way he writes! Hopefully he's a coroner,and deals with the dead so people aren't subjected to his BAD manners.

Answer 6

well white spots on the side of your tongue can be many things(depending on the sign and symptoms you have)...it could be coated tongue,it could be leukoplakia(a condition which is characterized by white patches without any clinical or histological resemblance to any disease or cause),candidal infection.etc.As I said it could be many things....
The best thing for you is to do is to get it checked by a dentist(AND I WOULD SAY PREFERABLY BY AN "ORAL SURGEON" BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO DEAL WITH DISEASES AND PATHOLOGY INSIDE THE ORAL CAVITY)...If I were you I wouldnt get it checked by a doctor because he is not specialized in oral cavity(mouth)...I would go for a dentist and PREFERABLY for an ORAL SURGEON...
Diagnosis of such a condition is usually made by diagnostic tests such as biopsy...so the oral surgeon is going to send a sample of it for biopsy and after the diagnosis hes gonna treat it according to the condition...
But there is nothing to worry about...just get it checked by a dentist/oral surgeon...

Answer 7

I say either. If you have a thorough dentist, they check your and gums every time you are in for a cleaning. They are looking for things like this. So, either can help you.

Who can you get in to see first? Or, who do you have the best insurance coverage for?

Answer 8

Go to your doctor. Sounds like thrush, which is a yeast infection in your mouth. It's easily treated if it is thrush.

Answer 9

See a dentist.....As others said...it might be a thrush (yeast infection) or if not...the problem shd be resolved by a good oral surgeon...All the best

Answer 10

You had better go to a Doctor to see what is wrong. It might be canker sores but to be sure go to a Doctor.

Answer 11

Go to your doctor. It may be just a yearst infection or not but your doctor would know.