i was diagnosed with both and had a biopsy done to reveal severity of both on my gums and the lateral side of tongue. He removed it all and it was negative for dysplasia. About 2 years later at the followup, I told him it was coming back and hurting and he prescribe me meds which didn't help much. I think it was a topical steroid. He told me to just keep an eye and I had nothing to worry about that it was rare for anything to turn cancerous... I trusted him. Now, It is coming back with a vengeance 2 more years later and even more painful. This time even when I talk. He prescribed me an antifungal for preventative measures, another steroid topical and something else. A steroid mouth wash, I believe. I discussed with him about the research I did and again he told me its very rare but we are doing another biopsy this week. Sigh I know it's not THAT rare, as I see quite a few people talking about lichen planus and the transition into cancer. I'm so scared now I should have gotten a second opinion much sooner. I am also highrisk HPV positive and have smoked in the past on and off socially since I was 14. I am now 34. This white patching has been around since my early 20's I quit social smoking about 5 years ago. It really wasn't even a pack a day, but that probably doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. God, I haven't even begun to process the price. It will be about $700 for the biopsies just like it was 4 years ago. They told me no one will take insurance both dental and medical?! I can't begin to afford sedation so i'll have to take a valium or 5...hundred. This guy was condescending and just kept saying that I don't know what he knows and to not believe everything you read online. So it goes... I feel like I should maybe go to an ENT or Oral surgeon who specializes in dysplasia of the mouth. I don't know, what do you think? This guy I noticed specializes mostly in superficial things, crowning, fake teeth, etc

I should add that the pathology report for the biopsy goes to the same place that most oral surgeons use so I don't know how practical that would be? It goes to the University of Gainsville pathology dept. On the diagnosis it said I had leukoplakia but in part of it, it said I had lichen planus as well. The doctor seems like to use these two interchangeably.