your dentist can diagnose thrush by examining your mouth. he or she looks for the distinctive white lesions on your mouth tongue or cheeks. lightly brushing the lesions away reveals a reddened tender area that may bleed slightly. a microscopic examination of tissue from a lesion can confirm the diagnosis. thrush that extends into your esophagus may require other tests to make the diagnosis. such tests might include taking a throat culture (swabbing the back of your throat with sterile cotton and studying the microorganisms under a microscope) performing an endoscopy of your esophagus stomach and small intestine (examining the lining of these body areas with a lighted camera mounted on the tip of a tube passed through these areas) or taking x-rays of your esophagus.
how is thrush diagnosed?