Mouth Ulcers

A mouth ulcer is the presence of a painful sore in the mouth. It occurs either on the cheeks or gums. Their color is red or yellow and occurs either singly or in clusters. These ulcers usually heal in 7 to 10 days. They can be distinguished from cold sores by the fact that the sores appear on the outer lips and are caused by a virus. Mouth ulcer is a loss or erosion of part of the delicate tissue along the inside of the mouth (mucous membrane).

Types of mouth ulcers
A single mouth ulcer is caused due to damage to the mouth like biting the cheek or damage to the gum with a toothbrush or a sharp tooth or a filling. A recurrent ulcer appears and disappears every few weeks.

Minor ulcers can appear in the cheeks, on the lips, tongue and gums. These are round, the size of the top of the pencil and be sometimes in clusters. Simultaneously, four to six can be seen. Major ulcers are large, more severe and have an irregular border. They can last for five to ten weeks. They can appear near the tonsils and cause extreme pain when swallowing. Generally, one appears at a time. In a third type, 100 very small painful ulcers (herpetiform type) can be seen and these last for one to two weeks. Minor ulcers are very common while major and herpetiform are rare. Mouth ulcers are common and a majority suffer from single ulcers at some time. 20% population have recurrent mouth ulcers at some time in their lives.

Ulcer Symptoms
Appearance of round or oval spots that are shallow and have white, grey or yellow color with an inflamed border is the first symptom of mouth ulcer. Along with certain foods, they cause discomfort and pain. The most painful condition prevails for three or four days and further the symptoms lower down. The ulcer heals without scarring within seven to ten days.

In severe attacks, the person may feel sick and slightly feverish. Also the lymph glands around the jaw in the upper part of the neck may be painful and enlarged.

The development of mouth ulcer takes place as follows. There is a round sore or sores inside the mouth. Swollen skin appears around the sores. Then, there is a feeling of tenderness. This feeling leads to problems during chewing or toothbrushing. Salty, spicy or sour foods cause irritation of these sores. Then, there is a loss of appetite.

Recurrent mouth ulcer causes

• hormonal changes : women are more susceptible during their periods
• Behcet's disease : an auto-immune disease caused by the body attacking the cells lining the mouth
• scarcity of iron and vitamins (B12 and C) in the diet
• sensitivity to foods containing preservatives and flavoring agents like cinnamaldehyde
• bowel disease like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, coeliac disease
• skin diseases like Lichen Planus, Pemphigus or Herpes Simplex
• stress and infections, particularly herpes simplex
• some medicines
• accidental biting of the cheek
• continuous rubbing against dentures or braces
• irritation due to strong antiseptics like a mouthwash
• injury due to toothbrush, like slipping while brushing
• burns due to consumption of hot food
• continuous rubbing against misaligned or sharp teeth
• Syphilis infection
• diseases like tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease
• lip cancer
• poor oral hygiene
• oral thrush infection
• reaction to some drugs like chemotherapeutic agents
• infection like hand-foot-mouth syndrome

Some disorders that cause mouth ulcers are:

• Leukoplakia : precancerous lesion on the tongue or inside of the cheek due to chronic irritation
• Oral lichen planus : disorder of the skin and mucous membrane causing itching, inflammation and distinctive skin lesions
• Gingivostomatitis : viral infection of the mouth and gums causing swelling and sores
• Oral cancer : cancer of the mouth

Kissing, sharing drinks and utensils cannot lead to mouth ulcers.

Aphthous ulcers or canker sore are mouth ulcers with are like a painful open sore inside the mouth due to a break in the mucous membrane. The cause of such ulcers is not known. About 20% adults suffer from this disease.