All that you need to know about mouth ulcers

Mouth ulcers are typically sores that affect the soft tissues of the mouth such as gums, cheeks, tongue, lips, and floor or roof of the mouth. These are also known as mouth sores or canker sores. Being generally harmless it resolves on its own within 1-2 weeks, however, it can cause tremendous irritation and discomfort during the time it persists. Since it cures by itself most of the times, you need not consult any dentist or GP but if the ulcer in mouth lasts for more than 3 weeks, you may have to get it diagnosed to rule out other underlying conditions. 

Where does mouth ulcer generally appear?

A mouth ulcer is a very common condition which can strike anyone of any age, anytime. A mouth ulcer or mouth sore can appear anywhere in the mouth. It could be on the cheeks, tongue, gums or the roof and floor of the mouth. 

How does a mouth ulcer or tongue ulcer look? 

Ulcers in mouth can appear white, pink or bright red, oval or round shaped sore on the soft tissues of the mouth. Moreover, it is possible to have multiple sores in the mouth at a given time as they may spread and grow. 

What causes a mouth ulcer?

It is not quite clear what are the mouth ulcer causes, however, there are several basic assumptions as to what might give your mouth an irritating wound.

• Poorly fitted dentures or braces – these may brush against your mouth and cause an injury to the soft tissues. 

• Accidentally biting the inside of your cheek or tongue while talking or eating – We all have done that and we know how painful a mouth ulcer due to this it can get

• A hard food – such as apple or a snack which may leave your mouth bruised for some time.

• Stress and anxiety – this may not be a number one cause for mouth ulcer but it is believed that excessive stress may injure your delicate mouth 

• Hormonal changes – some women routinely develop mouth ulcers during the onset of their menstrual cycle

• Smoking – smoking or trying to quit smoking may give you an uncomfortable sore or mouth ulcer

• Certain foods – such as spicy foods, chocolates, nuts etc can cause a mouth ulcer

• Other reasons – like an infection, viral fever, herpes in the mouth, side effect of some medication, gastrointestinal disorder, anaemia, vitamin deficiency etc may also cause a mouth ulcers or canker cores

How to treat a mouth ulcer? 

Thankfully, mouth ulcer is one such condition that when left to itself clears on its own within a short period of time. However, when the ulcer hurts a lot and is extremely distressing, one can resort to mouth ulcer treatments or mouth ulcer remedies to speed up the healing process.

Mouth ulcer gel – Several brands of mouth ulcer gesl are easily available in the market and are extremely efficient when it comes to healing a mouth ulcer. One must always look for brands such as QuikKool, Orahelp etc. as they contain lignocaine, which gives immediate relief from pain and choline salicylate, which soothes the wound and aids in faster healing.

Mouthwash – antimicrobial mouthwashes not only make you recover faster from the sore but also prevent further infection of the mouth sores

Painkiller mouth ulcer gel, paste, lozenge etc – these are usually prescribed by a GP or dentist when the ulcer has been too tough or lasted for over 3 weeks.

If you are prone to mouth ulcers very often then consult your dentist or GP to understand the reason as it may point out to a bigger underlying health condition.