All About Mouth Ulcers

Causes

Mouth ulcers can be caused due to following reasons:

• Biting the cheek or tongue accidentally

• Mouth injury from dental work

• Injury due to hard brushing, dental braces, or accidentally biting the cheek, lips, or tongue

• Sports injury

• Bacterial/fungal/viral infections in the mouth due to certain conditions, such as hand, foot and mouth disease

• Lack of sleep

• Emotional stress

• Hormonal changes during menstruation or pregnancy

• Deficiency of important nutrients in the body, such as iron, zinc, vitamin B9, and vitamin B12

• Consuming large quantities of acidic foods, such as oranges and strawberries

Some health conditions that can cause mouth ulcers are:

• Inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis

• Celiac disease

• Diabetes

• Autoimmune conditions, such as lupus, oral lichen planus, and Behcet’s disease

• HIV

Types

The different types of mouth ulcers are —

1. Canker sores:

Also called aphthous ulcers, canker sores are the most common types of mouth ulcers. These sores are usually caused due to stress, acidic foods, and minor trauma, such as biting the tongue or cheek. Canker sores can be white or yellow with red edges.

2. Oral thrush:

This happens when Candida albicans yeast overgrows inside the mouth and causes fungal infection in form of ulcers. Oral thrush usually happens when the immune system is weak after antibiotic treatment.

3. Oral lichen planus:

This type of mouth ulcer causes itchy rashes or sores inside the mouth. The condition is an immune system response and it is more common in women over 50 years of age.

4. Leukoplakia:

This causes mouth ulcers due to excess cell growth. It is common in people who smoke or chew tobacco.

5. Erythroplakia:

This causes red patches or sores under the tongue or behind the lower front teeth. The condition happens due to smoking or chewing tobacco and can be pre-cancerous or cancerous.

6. Mouth cancer:

Oral/mouth cancer lesions look like red or white sores in the mouth, and they may not heal on their own. If a mouth ulcer does not heal for three weeks, consult a doctor without delay.

Symptoms

The symptoms of mouth ulcers are:

• Painful sores inside the mouth

• Sores that are white, yellow, or red

• Sores with white or yellow heads and red around the edges

• Swelling around the sore or ulcer

• Increased soreness and pain while brushing teeth

• Intense pain while eating sour, spicy, and salty foods

Treatment

While most mouth ulcers get cured on their own, there are some remedies that can help ease associated pain and discomfort. These include:

• Applying ice cubes to the ulcer

• Applying milk of magnesia on the sore

• Wetting a tea bag and placing it on the ulcer

• Taking supplements containing vitamin B9, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc

• Making a paste of baking soda and applying it on the sore

• Using prescribed mouth rinses or antiseptic gels

• Applying the prescribed steroid ointment on the ulcer

• Taking prescribed immunosuppressants

In addition, following tips can help cure the ulcer faster:

• Practice good oral hygiene

• Drink more water

• Use warm saltwater to rinse your mouth

• Do not consume hot, spicy, and sour foods