Overview

Mouth Ulcers are a common ailment that affects many people at one time or another. These sores can grow among other soft tissues such as on your lips, gums, cheeks, tongue, floor, and roof of your mouth. You can also develop mouth sores on the esophagus, the tube connecting your mouth to your stomach.

Mouth ulcers, such as canker sores, are usually a slight inconvenience that lasts for a week or two. They can, however, signal mouth cancer or a virus infection such as herpes simplex in some circumstances.

What Causes Mouth Ulcers?

There is no definite reason behind mouth ulcer causes. However, there have been specific factors and triggers. These include the following:

Little Asian boy feeling sad sitting alone on sofa and cover his face
  • Mouth rinses containing sodium lauryl sulfate toothpaste
  • Acidic foods such as strawberries, citrus, and pineapple, and other foods like chocolate and coffee can provoke food sensitivities
  • Lack of vitamins needed, in particular B-12, zinc, folate, and iron
  • Allergic reaction to mouth bacteria
  • Menstrual hormonal changes
  • Lack of sleep or emotional stress
  • Infections with bacteria, viruses, or fungi particular B-12, zinc, folate, and iron
  • Biting your tongue, cheek, or lip
  • Burning your mouth
  • Suffering from irritation caused by a sharp object, like braces, retainers, or dentures
  • Brushing your teeth too forcefully, or using a toothbrush with a strong bristle
  • Tobacco chewing
  • Infected by the herpes simplex virus
Chew tobacco

Mouth ulcers can occur as a result of — or as a reaction to — the following:

  • Prescription or over-the-counter drugs
  • Gingivostomatitis
  • Infectious mononucleosis
  • Thrush in the mouth
  • The sickness of the hands, feet, and mouth
  • Chemotherapy or radiation
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Bleeding disorder
  • Cancer
  • Celiac illness
  • Infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi
  • AIDS-related immune suppression or a recent organ transplant
Enterovirus Legs hands mouth Rash on the body of a child Cocksackie virus

Food You Should Avoid

There are things you can do to reduce the occurrence of mouth ulcers such as avoiding meals that irritate your mouth. Among them are acidic fruits such as pineapple, grapefruit, oranges, or lemon, as well as nuts, chips, or anything spicy.

Do Mouth Ulcers Have To Be Diagnosed?

You can typically detect if you have a mouth ulcer without the assistance of a healthcare expert. If you suffer any of the following symptoms, you should visit your doctor.

  • Have white areas on your sores; this could indicate leukoplakia or oral lichen planus
  • Have herpes simplex or another infection, or suspect you may have it
  • Have sores that don't go away or worsen after a few weeks
  • Began taking a new drug
  • Began cancer treatment
  • Recently underwent transplant surgery

Your healthcare professional will examine your mouth, tongue, and lips during your visit. They may perform a biopsy and run some tests if they suspect you have cancer.

Do Mouth Ulcers Have Any Long-Term Consequences?

Mouth ulcers, in most situations, have no long-term consequences.

The sores may return if you have herpes simplex. Severe cold sores may leave scars in certain people. Outbreaks are more likely to happen if you:

  • Are under pressure
  • Are sick or have a compromised immune system
  • Have had an excessive amount of sun exposure
  • Have a tear in your mouth's skin

Science-Backed Home Remedies

Mouth ulcers are normally cured on their own. There are, however, numerous home remedies you can try to treat canker sores.

Some components in over-the-counter topical medications can help soothe and heal sores. Among them are: 

  • Benzodiazepine Mouth Ulcer Cream (Orabase, Zilactin-B, Kank-A)
  • Rinses with hydrogen peroxide (Peroxyl, Orajel)
  • Fluocinonide is a kind of fluocinonide (Vanos)

Your doctor or dentist may advise you to use:

Mouth rinsing
  • Listerine or chlorhexidine mouth rinses or any antimicrobial mouth rinses (Peridex, Periogard)
  • Antibiotics, such as doxycycline mouthwashes or tablets (Monodox, Adoxa, Vibramycin)
  • Hydrocortisone hemisuccinate or beclomethasone ointment

Outlook

In many circumstances, the swelling or inflammation will subside on its own. More serious reasons for swelling on the roof of your mouth, such as cancer, are uncommon. You have most certainly irritated the delicate skin of your hard palate for the ulcers to appear. Remember to give your skin time to heal while you recover. When your skin is already sensitive, avoid eating particularly hot or hard meals, and avoid foods that irritate the roof of your mouth. If the swelling does not subside within five days to a week, you should consult your doctor.

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