Oral Ulcers

A mouth ulcer is a small, painful lesion that may appear on any soft tissue inside the mouth. It occurs due to the loss or erosion of the soft mucous membrane lining the oral cavity.

Mouth ulcers can appear for many reasons either dental or systemic causes. They are self-limiting conditions that disappear within one or two weeks without the need for treatment. However, if the ulcer is not healing, consult our dental experts to rule out oral cancer.

Manifestation And Symptoms of Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers can appear on any oral soft tissue such as the tongue, gums, floor of the mouth, or inner side of the lips. They are annoying and may interrupt your speech, eating, and drinking. Their size is usually less than 5mm.

They appear as one or numerous white, yellow, or red areas surrounded by red margins. If they become inflamed the margins are red, swollen, and may bleed.

The pain related to oral ulcers may be aggravated by salty, acidic, or spicy food and during brushing.

Causes of Mouth Ulcers

The most common causes of mouth ulcers include:

Accidently biting on tongue or cheeks.
Ill-fitting dentures.
Wearing braces or retainers.
Sharp edges of a broken tooth or restoration rubbing against your tongue and cheeks.
Eating acidic foods such as oranges.
Hormonal changes such as during menstruation or pregnancy.
Lack of sleep.
Stress while performing a dental procedure, such as filling or extraction.
Injury due to aggressive tooth brushing or using a hard toothbrush.
Burns from eating hot food or drinks.
Allergic reaction to certain medication.
Xerostomia (decrease in the salivary flow)
Radiotherapy

Multiple mouth ulcers may point to a systemic medical condition.

Vitamin deficiency such as folic acid, vitamin B and D.
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, arthritis, or HIV.
Gastrointestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease.
Hand, foot and mouth disease.

Consult Our Dental Experts If:

The ulcer lasts more than three weeks.
The ulcer is getting bigger.
The ulcer becomes severely painful or bleeds.
You have multiple ulcers.
There is an accompanying pain in the joints.
Ulcers appear in the mouth and any other area of the body.
Ulcers are recurrent.
Ulcer is painless.

Diagnosis Of Mouth Ulcers

At Dulwich Dental Office, our world-class dental team will thoroughly investigate the reason behind the ulcer. The diagnosis is divided into ulcer history, visual examination, and medical history investigation.

The ulcer history provides valuable information to help in the diagnosis process. Our dental professional will ask about the ulcer duration, recurrency, accompanying pain, and whether it bleeds. A question regarding the existence of ulcers elsewhere is valuable to rule out some medical conditions such as viral infection.

An ulcer that persists for more than two weeks or that is not painful will require further investigations to rule out cancer. A recurrent ulcer at the same place will suggest a local factor that causes injury such as a broken tooth or a sharp margin of a dental appliance. A bleeding ulcer may suggest an accompanying inflammation.

During the visual examination, our experts will record the number and size of the ulcer and the existence of a local cause for the ulcer.

A detailed medical history is essential to determine if there is a pre-existing condition that may be causing the ulcer such as gastrointestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease, autoimmune diseases, such as HIV and Lupus, or vitamin deficiency.

Further diagnostic procedures such as blood tests or biopsies may be recommended to rule out oral cancer or systemic causes.

Mouth Ulcers and Oral Cancer

Oral cancer may be manifested as a mouth ulcer. Oral cancer is a very aggressive type of cancer. Unless detected early, it shows a high fatality rate.

Dulwich Dental Office offers oral cancer detection tests for the early diagnosis of oral cancer. Early detection of mouth cancer saves lives.

Oral cancer expressed as a mouth ulcer may show some distinctive features that are alarming to proceed with further investigations. Oral cancer ulcers are persistent for a long time without healing, have rolled margins, may bleed easily, and they are painless.

If you notice that your mouth ulcer persists longer than three weeks or is not painful consult our dental experts immediately.

Mouth ulcers and cold sores

Although they are similar in appearance several points may help to differentiate between mouth ulcers and cold sores.

Cold sores usually appear around the lips and are preceded by a tingling sensation; however, they may also appear inside the mouth. Mouth ulcers appear only inside the oral cavity.

Cold sores are caused by a viral infection with herpes zoster virus and can be contagious. They may be accompanied by fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and body aches. Mouth ulcers are not contagious and are probably caused by a local dental cause.

Mouth ulcers usually appear as rounded or oval small lesions while cold sores are tiny fluid-filled blisters.

Tips to Relief Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers usually disappear within one or two weeks without treatment. However, the pain associated with mouth ulcers may be annoying. These are some tips to relieve the pain:

Continue your daily oral hygiene measures using a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Eat soft food and drink using a straw.
Avoid spicy, acidic, and salty food.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Some over-the-counter medications such as steroid spray or painkiller ointments may be helpful to relieve the pain.

Natural Mouth Ulcer Remedies

Saline mouthwash can relieve inflammation.
Clove oil was proven effective in relieving dental pain.
Aloe vera promotes the healing of mouth ulcers and relieves the pain.
Coconut and sesame oil have antimicrobial effects and help reduce the soreness.
Zinc supplements help boost immunity and reduce the frequency of mouth ulcers development especially if your mouth ulcers are caused by vitamin deficiency. Consult your healthcare giver before using supplements.
Applying an ice cube over a mouth ulcer provides immediate pain relief.

Prevention Of Mouth Ulcers

Avoid vigorous tooth brushing and avoid using hard toothbrush.
If you have a broken tooth that causes friction with your cheeks or tongue, get help to restore it.
If you suffer from ill-fitting dentures, replace them.
Keep regular check-up visits.
Keep your medical conditions controlled.
Follow a healthy diet to avoid vitamin deficiencies.
If you have orthodontic braces with sharp edges, consult our dental experts about covering these edges using orthodontic wax.
If you are stressed, practice stress-relieving activities, such as yoga or meditation to decrease the chances of developing stress mouth ulcers.

FAQs

What are the main reasons for mouth ulcers?

Mouth ulcers may be caused due to accidental biting, aggressive brushing, ill-fitting dentures, broken teeth, or stress. They can also be caused by some systemic conditions such as auto-immune diseases, GIT diseases, or hormonal changes during pregnancy or menstruation.

Can vitamin deficiency cause mouth ulcers?

Yes. Vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, and iron deficiency were reported to cause mouth ulcers.

Are mouth ulcers dangerous?

Mouth ulcers are not dangerous and can be caused by numerous causes. They are usually a self-limiting condition that resolves without scars within one to two weeks.

Are mouth ulcers contagious?

Mouth ulcers are not contagious if caused by accidental biting or trauma from a dental appliance or broken tooth. However, if mouth ulcers are caused by a virus infection, such as HIV, they are contagious.

How can a dentist diagnose the reason behind a mouth ulcer?

Initially, an intraoral examination of the teeth near the ulcer is performed to identify a dental cause for the ulcer, such as a broken tooth, defective restoration, ill-fitting dentures, or orthodontic braces. A full medical history is collected to check the existence of a systemic condition that may be causing the mouth ulcer, such as autoimmune diseases. Some laboratory tests may also be recommended to identify the existence of vitamin deficiency.

How long do mouth ulcers last?

Mouth ulcers usually last 10-14 days. If mouth ulcers do not heal for over three weeks, consult our dental professionals.

When should I consult my dentist about a mouth ulcer?

If it does not heal for more than 3 weeks, the pain increases, bleeds, and becomes recurrent, and if it is accompanied by ulcers anywhere else in the body.

Can mouth ulcers be a sign of oral cancer?

Maybe, oral cancer may be manifested as an oral ulcer. If you have had a painful unhealed ulcer for more than three weeks consult our dental experts to take a biopsy and rule out cancer.

How can I relieve mouth ulcer pain?

Avoid acidic or spicy food, use a soft-bristled toothbrush, use warm saline mouthwash and OTC painkillers or gel, if necessary, drink plenty of fluids, and use a straw during drinking. Some natural remedies, such as clove oil, coconut oil, and aloe vera were found effective in promoting healing and reducing soreness.

How can I avoid mouth ulcers?

Mouth ulcers can be avoided through regular check-ups and the treatment of any defective restoration of broken teeth. Also, it is important to use a suitable type of toothbrush and brushing technique to avoid damage to the soft tissues.

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HYGIENIST

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AIR ABRASION

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Had a tooth out which is never fun, but he was great, never even needed pain killers afterwards

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Everyone at Dulwich Dental office is lovely, from the friendly and welcoming reception staff, right to dentist and hygienist. They do a great job, and have always made me feel comfortable, while helping me keep my teeth in good shape. I recently tried the Airflow treatment during hygienist visit and wow, totally worth it! Thanks, dental team!

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I lost my two front teeth whilst at school and had complications for years. Unfortunately I ended up needing an implant – which I had been avoiding! I wish I had done it sooner. Dr Patel was fantastic and guided me through each stage. He was always contactable to answer any queries or concerns. Very happy with the end result and would reccomend.

Tom O.

Fantastic specialist treatment – I was heading towards eventual tooth loss, Aaron the hygienist helped me with a treatment plan and my teeth bones have regrown by 2mm and I no longer have bleeding, a remarkable turnaround in 6 months! Thank you so much. Lovely reception staff too. Thanks!

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