Welcome @elmore! I think you have a right to your touch of paranoia, since you and your spouse have first-hand experience with tongue cancer. Being diagnosed with lichen planus (LP) of the gums may increase one's risk of certain cancers. You are wise to be diligent with following the advice you got from your doctor and to see your doctor or dentist twice a year for checkups and cleanings, or more often as directed by your dentist (or if more often would give you piece of mind).

Elmore, you may have noticed that I moved your post to this existing discussion about LP:
- Oral lichen Planus: What home remedies or medications help you?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/oral-lichen-planus-3/

I did this so that you can read previous posts and join a welcoming group of fellow LP members like @lovebug61 @jshdma @maryz @cmtg @bustrbrwn22 @fancyrph @steveandsteph @dancing1 @microgirl who offer tips, support and encouragement.

Did your spouse's diagnosis begin with lichen planus? I sure hope those painful, raw places calm down soon.

@elmore Yes, there are many of us out there dealing with this, unfortunately, so I really sympathize with your pain. It is hard to adjust to oral LP if it becomes a permanent part of your life. When your gums, cheeks, and under your tongue become covered in sores they call it erosive oral lichen planus. May I ask who diagnosed you with LP? To help with the pain, ask for what's called a Miracle Mouthwash. I don't know why it isn't offered right away. This is a swish and spit that has lidocaine, antacid, and sometimes an antihistamine. A dentist or dermatologist generally prescribes this. This will allow you to floss and brush without pain, and also eat to a certain degree. It seems everyone has different triggers for their OLP. I cannot use many flavored products or those with fluoride most of the time to brush my teeth or floss with so if the Crest inflames your LP, look for a Tom's of Maine children's Silly Strawberry toothpaste. I can usually use that. If not, I use my special order Cleure toothpaste with no flavor or fluoride that I purchase on-line. I had a teleconference with a specialist on OLP at Texas A&M University and he also recommended I use unwaxed, unflavored floss. The best one I have found is OraMD online. It doesn't shred if you have a lot of dental work. For those of us with severe OLP, any dental visit can be painful and trigger a worse outbreak but it is important to find a dentist who is EXTREMELY gentle and does not press against anything in your mouth or lips. It is possible to get LP on your lips so that could become sensitive, too. It is a good idea to have cleanings every 3 months, if you can handle it and afford it. Gums being inflamed this often can cause dental issues and you want to nip that in the bud ASAP. Your dentist will also be on the lookout for signs of cancer as well. They thought the LP on my lips was cancer several times but it always turned out not to be (and many dentists have told me this is extremely rare) but a good dentist will always be watching for this. If this is a temporary, one time inflammation, the Miracle Mouthwash will be a godsend. If it becomes chronic, you will learn to adjust your eating so that you don't eat anything crunchy, salty, sugary, chocolatey, or acidic. I've gone through months with only being able to drink Glucerna out of a straw and they really taste pretty good. If you have many sores in your mouth, they may prescribe a prednisone solution to swish in your mouth to assist with healing. If there aren't too many sores, they will generally prescribe a steroid ointment for you to apply to sores individually.

I am so sorry you have been diagnosed with this and hope it contains itself to just your mouth. Please reach out if you have any questions or just need encouragement. It does become easier to deal with after time. I never thought I would say that!

I’m so very frustrated have had this terrible taste in mouth and pain in check areas for over two months now and after seeing my GI doctor he wanted me to try Famotidine again twice a day. Even though it was on my list of many of the drugs I have tried on over the few years and could not tolerate. I should of recorded why I couldn’t take these drugs but unfortunately I did not. I think he still feels it’s from acid reflux and gerd I had for years. Which amazing I’m not having it now. Only this disgusting taste and pain in my mouth. Checks swell and are very sore inside. Tongue has deep lined in it. Only drinking protein drinks and soft or liguid food. I’m so frustrated don’t know where or who to see next.