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Mouth ulcers- What Are They?


Also known as apthous ulcers, mouth ulcers are sore that can appear in your mouth, very often on the inside of your cheeks. They can be especially painful when you are eating, drinking or brushing your teeth.

Types of mouth ulcer

There are two types of mouth ulcer:

  • Minor ulcers- around 2-8mm in diameter. Usually clear up in 10 days to 2 weeks.
  • Major ulcers- Bigger and deeper, often with a raised or irregular border. Can take several weeks to heal and may leave a scar in the mouth.
  • Herpetiform ulcers- A cluster of dozens of smaller sores, about the size of a pinhead.

Causes

The precise cause of most ulcers is unknown. In terms of simple ulcers, stress or tissue injury are thought to be causes. Certain foods; citrus or acidic fruits and vegetables (such as lemons, oranges, pineapples, apples, figs, tomatoes and strawberries), may trigger one. Occasionally, a sharp tooth surface or dental appliance (braces or ill-fitting dentures) may also trigger growth.

In cases of more complex ulcers, these may be caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system; nutritional deficiencies (vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid), iron deficiency or, gastrointestinal tract disease, such as Coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.

Ulcers may also develop when you first quit smoking. This is normal and temporary.
Some medications, (eg. common pain killers, beta-blockers and some chest pain medicines) may cause a reaction that leads to mouth ulcers.

Symptoms

You may have a mouth ulcer if you have:

  • A painful sore or sores inside your mouth, on the tongue, soft palate (the back portion of the roof of your mouth), or inside your cheeks.
  • Sores in your mouth that are round, white, or grey in colour, with a red edge or border.

In severe mouth ulcer attacks, you may also experience:

Treatment

Pain from a mouth ulcer generally lessens in a few days and the sores usually heal without treatment in about a week or two.

If sores are large, painful or persistent, we may prescribe you with an antimicrobial mouth rinse, a corticosteroid ointment, or a solution to reduce the pain and irritation.

Prevention

Although there is no cure for them and they often reoccur, you may reduce their frequency with good dental hygiene and:

  • Avoiding foods that irritate your mouth, including acidic or spicy foods
  • Avoiding irritation from gum chewing
  • Brushing with a soft-bristled brush after meals and flossing daily

Seek medical advice about mouth ulcers if you have:

  • Unusually large sores
  • Sores that are spreading
  • Sores that last three weeks or longer
  • Intolerable pain despite avoiding trigger foods and taking over-the-counter pain medication
  • Difficulty drinking enough fluids
  • A high fever with the appearance of the mouth ulcer(s)

Contact our team at Dental House today if you have any concerns about your gum health.

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