Here at Harley Street Dental Clinic, we are interested in everything that goes on inside your mouth, not just your teeth. When you come to this dental clinic in W1 for a check-up, we look at the health of your gums and other soft parts of your mouth, as well as your head and neck. One thing we come across is mouth ulcers, those annoying and sometimes painful patches that seem to appear out of nowhere, hang around and then, hopefully, with a bit of encouragement, go away again.
Where do mouth ulcers come from?
Mouth ulcers are red, white or yellow sore patches inside the mouth. There are two types of mouth ulcers.
The first is a reaction to some sort of trauma in the mouth; maybe you bit your lip or cheek when you were eating. You usually only get one at a time and they are next to the site of the damage. Once the source is removed, the mouth ulcer goes away. These are called traumatic ulcers.
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis, on the other hand, is the long name for the problem of the repeated appearance of clusters of little mouth ulcers in children and young people. No one knows what causes this condition, but the ulcers come in groups of about 4-6 and are tiny.
If any of the ulcers are still around after three weeks, it’s a good idea to get them checked out at the dental clinic in W1.
Other causes of mouth ulcers
There may be an infection, such as herpes simplex behind the ulcers, although these are different from cold sores, which appear on the lips or around the mouth. More rarely, other viruses or bacteria may be behind the ulcers, and anaemia and other skin diseases or blood disorders can also be to blame. A mouth ulcer that won’t go away could be the first sign of mouth cancer.
Let us have a look
With so many possible causes for mouth ulcers, don’t ignore them. If you have had one for more than three weeks, make an appointment at our dental clinic in W1 so we can examine it.