You may have common canker sores if you notice a painful sore or sores on the inside your mouth, your tongue, soft palate (the back portion of the roof of your mouth), or inside your cheeks.
It’s normally nothing to worry about and will clear on its own in a few weeks. Sometimes, the cause of the ulcer is more of a concern.
But how do you know the pain in your mouth is a normal canker sore and what are the best treatment options?
A person may feel pain on their tongue which could be focused on a specific spot.
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Alongside the pain, having one or more sores on the skin which become more aggravated when eating food which is either salty, spicy or sour are symptoms to spot.
When opening your mouth, a person may see a round or oval ulcer or canker sore.
This can be a whitish appearance or sometimes red, yellow or grey.
Causes of mouth ulcers include:
- Accidentally biting the inside of your cheek
- Injury from a toothbrush (such as slipping while brushing)
- Constant rubbing against misaligned or sharp/broken teeth
- Constant rubbing against dentures or braces
- Burns from eating hot food
- Irritation from strong antiseptics, such as a mouthwash
- Viral injections such as the herpes simplex viral infection
- Reaction to certain medications
- Skin rashes in the mouth (for example, lichen planus)
- Autoimmune disease
- Underlying vitamin or iron deficiency
- Underlying gastrointestinal disease such as Crohn’s disease or coeliac disease
- Oral cancer.
“A lump or sore on your tongue that doesn’t go away within two weeks could be an indication of oral cancer,” warns Dr. Daniel Allan.
Keep in mind that many oral cancers don’t hurt in the early stages, so don’t assume a lack of pain means nothing is wrong.
Carrie Newlands, consultant maxillofacial surgeon points out that:
Mouth cancer is increasingly common and is being seen in younger people and in more women probably as a result of sexual transmission.
Human papillomavirus virus (HPV) is the name of a very common group of viruses and can cause mouth cancer.
Using condoms can help protect you against HPV.
Romama Kuchai, consultant ENT surgeon in the UK said:
If you’re suffering from a mouth ulcer, the most likely cause is an injury to the inside of your mouth – for example, biting the inside of your cheek, rough fillings, a sharp tooth or a cut from eating hard food or drinking a hot drink.
If you’re one of the unlucky individuals who suffers from these uncomfortable sores on a regular basis, there may also be an underlying factor.
It is not always clear what causes regular mouth ulcers, but stress, anxiety and eating certain foods – such as chocolate, spicy foods and peanuts – can trigger them to return.
Hormonal changes and stress can also be triggers. Your genes may also play a part, as frequent mouth ulcers can run in families.
Treating canker sores:
Avoid spicy and sour foods until the ulcers heal.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Keep your mouth clean.
Apply antiseptic gel to the ulcers.
Canker sores will usually go away by themselves after a week or so, but they can make it difficult to eat or talk, so you may want to seek relief in the meantime.
“Rinsing your mouth out with highly concentrated salt water several times a day is one of the easiest ways to reduce the pain and inflammation caused by canker sores,” says dentist Todd Coy, DMD.
Mix about 1 teaspoon of salt into a half-cup to a cup of warm water. Swish the solution around in your mouth, but then spit it out (don’t swallow it).
Regularly rinse your mouth out with warm, slightly salted water, keeping the rinse in your mouth for up to four minutes at a time.
Use an alcohol-free medicated (preferably containing chlorhexidine gluconate) mouthwash twice daily.
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Use a topical steroid mouthwash or ointment this is generally prescribed by your dentist or oral medicine specialist. If required in severe cases, immunosuppressant medication may be prescribed by your oral health professional.
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