We have mouth ulcers a lot during our lives, and some of them are extremely annoying and painful. Most of the time, these ulcers wear off alone, while some of them might be serious and indicate other disorders.

Mouth ulcers

Mouth ulcers are ulcers manifesting on any part inside the mouth, such as the inner cheeks, inner lips, gums, tongue, and mouth roof.

Causes and symptoms of mouth ulcers differ depending on the type, yet most of them are simple and wear off alone and don’t lead to other complications, except for some conditions.

Types of mouth ulcers

Aphthous ulcers (canker sores)

This is the most common type of mouth ulcer and its cause isn’t known until now. Canker ulcers appear as white or yellow sores with red edges, and they cause extreme pain and disturbance. The researchers think that some causes might include mild traumas like biting the inner cheeks, acidic food, dental appliances like braces, stress, and people who have immune diseases, such as lupus, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and AIDS.

Leukoplakia

White or gray oral ulcers, which are usually unpainful. They occur due to the excess cell growth that’s resulted of some irritants, like smoking and tobacco products.

Erythroplakia

This condition also occurs due to specific irritants, which are mostly smoking and tobacco products. They appear as red patches behind the lower front teeth or under the tongue in most cases. Unlike leukoplakia, erythtoplakia is considered precancerous or even cancerous.

Oral lichen planus

This condition causes itchy, lacelike mouth ulcers to appear inside the mouth. The cause of it is unknown, but it’s thought that it’s resulted due to some medications or diseases. This condition is more common in women older than 50 years old.

Oral thrush

It’s a fungus inside the mouth that’s resulted due to oral candidiasis and causes red and creamy white patches and ulcers to appear inside the mouth, which cause annoying symptoms. This condition mostly occurs after taking antibiotics or when the immune system is weak.

Mouth cancer

Oral cancer appears as white or red ulcers inside the mouth that don’t wear off alone after three weeks. They might cause pain, bleeding, and sometimes numbness or tingling.

Diagnosis of mouth ulcers

• Mouth examination.
• Blood tests in some cases.

Treatment of mouth ulcers

• The treatment depends on the cause of the mouth ulcers, and simple conditions are often left to heal alone.
• In some cases, some oral antiseptics or some medications might be prescribed.
• Drink enough water.
• Keep your mouth and teeth clean.
• Avoid acidic and spicy food until the mouth ulcers are healed.