Oral Health and Dental Management

Recurrent Mouth Ulcers: Apthous Stomatitis (Canker Sores)

Xiao Liu^* Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
^*Correspondence: Xiao Liu, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China, Email:

Received: 05-Apr-2022, Manuscript No. OHDM-22-16281; Editor assigned: 08-Apr-2022, Pre QC No. OHDM-22-16281; Reviewed: 22-Apr-2022, QC No. OHDM-22-16281; Revised: 29-Apr-2022, Manuscript No. OHDM-22-16281; Published: 06-May-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2247-2452.22.21.993

Description

Aphthous ulcers also known as canker sores are small, shallow lesions that appear on the soft tissues of the mouth or at the base of the gums. Canker sores unlike cold sores do not appear on the surface of your lips and are not communicable. However, they can be painful and make eating and speaking difficult. The majority of canker sores heal on their own after a week or two. If you have canker sores that are unusually large or painful, or that don’t seem to heal immediately consult your dentist. Canker sores are tiny superficial ulcers that develop in the mouth’s lining. Aphthous ulcers are the medical term for canker sores. Canker sores begin as white to yellowish lesions encircled by redness. They’re normally tiny (less than 1 mm in diameter), although they can grow to be 12 to 1 inch in diameter. Canker sores cause painful in eating and talking. Simple canker sores arise three or four times per year and can last up to a week. Canker sores can affect anyone, but they are most common in adults between the ages of 10 and 20. Complex canker sores are less prevalent and more common in people who have had them before. Canker sores are not contagious and are divided into three types. The most frequent type of canker sore is a minor sore that is 3 to 10 millimetres (mm). Lesions persist 10 to 14 days and do not leave scars. Major sores are wider and deeper than small sores, have an uneven border, and are more than 10 mm in diameter. Major canker sores can take weeks to months to cure, and they may leave a scar. Herpetiform sores are large groupings of numerous lesions. Although these are minor ulcers (2 mm-3 mm), there could be up to 100 ulcers present at same moment. They usually recover without leaving scars.

Causes and Symptoms

Nobody is certain what causes the canker sores. They can however run in a family which implies that if your parents or siblings acquire canker sores, the genes you carry make it more probable for you to get them as well. There may be a link between stress and canker sores. If you have canker sores around test time or another major life event, it could be a sign of how stressed you are. Canker sores appear to be brought on by mouth injuries (such as biting the inside of the lip or brushing too hard and harming the sensitive lining inside the mouth).

Canker sores have been related to Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) a component in many toothpastes and mouthwashes and sometimes the sores can be an indication of an immune system problem. Finally, in some people, a poor diet (such as a lack of iron or vitamin B12) may play a role in the development of canker sores.

Canker sores are a type of sore that causes localised pain and is easily aggravated. These are the sole symptoms in uncomplicated cases, yet the discomfort may make you feel irritated by the mouth ulcer. Canker sores are well-defined, spherical, less than a centimetre in diameter, and usually superficial on the mucosal surface of the mouth’s lining. Before they appear, there is some sort of a tingling sensation. An inflammatory red edge surrounds the white or yellow-gray centre which often fades to grey with time. It usually develops on the floor of the mouth, inside the lip (labial mouth), cheeks (buccal), or under the front or sides of the tongue. Sometimes affect the gums and less frequently at the surface of the back of the mouth. It usually lasts 1-2 weeks before it heals. Sluggishness, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever are some of the most severe symptoms.

Canker Sore Treatment

The pain from a canker sore normally goes away in a few days, and the sores heal on their own in about a week or two. Mouthwashes may be used to treat large, long-lasting, or especially painful sores. A rinse containing a steroid or a painkiller can be prescribed by your doctor. Medication that is applied to the skin may be prescribed by the doctor for a topical steroid as well as a topical painkiller like lidocaine to reduce discomfort. Aphthasol, a prescription ointment marketed as an “oral paste,” may help to minimise pain and speed up the healing process. Medications taken orally for canker sores can be treated with the ulcer drug sucralfate (Carafate) and the gout drug colchicine (Mitigare). Alternatively, your doctor may prescribe steroid tablets. Supplements for nutrition may be required if your canker sores are caused by a nutritional shortage. Dental lasers can help you immediately feel better. Your doctor may also use chemicals like debacterol or silver nitrate to cauterise sores.