A sign of thrush (Candida overgrowth in the mouth) is a cottage cheese like substance inside the mouth.

For what it's worth, an oral pathologist confirmed to me that the spit test is unreliable for telling if you have Candida (I can't remember exactly why). I did a home stool test in 2008 and again in 2010 and confirmed I had an overgrowth of candida parapsilosis which was resolved by 2010 after 6 months on the strict Candida diet.

If you are at all suspicious you have Candida, but don't want to pay for the test, you will need to go weeks if not months on the diet, taking probiotics and possibly taking supplements like Caprylic acid, or Grapefruit Seed Extract, or pharmaceuticals Diflucan or Nystatin, to see if there is any change. Often supplements don't do the trick on their own, as Candida feeds on sugars (including alcohols) and toxins. For those with an overgrowth, there is often a period of "die-off" where you feel worse before you get better, so you have to make it through that phase.

I'd be interested to see if anyone's condition actually worsened while going off sugars and alcohol (and not applying some chemical topical like hydrocortisone or Aquaphor, of course). I notice my condition worsens in conjunction with heavy alcohol, sugar, wheat intake or periods of extreme stress or depression. Could be a direct reaction, or the result of a weakened immune system.

Peace,
C.S.