Different Causes Of Mouth Ulcers And Their Treatment Protocol

“Mouth ulcers” or “Oral Ulcers” are the open sores inside the mouth due to break in the continuity of the mucus membrane that lines the inside of the mouth. They are extremely common. They cause a lot of discomfort or pain. They occur either singly or in clusters.

Factors Causing Mouth Ulcers:

• Accidental biting of the cheek
• Injury from a toothbrush (such as slipping while brushing)
• Constant rubbing against misaligned or sharp teeth or dentures or braces
• Due to very hot and spicy food
• Irritation from strong chemicals in toothpastes, mouth washes etc. For example Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), one of the main ingredients in most toothpastes, has been implicated in causing oral ulcers in certain people
• Due to viral, fungal or bacterial infections like in tuberculosis, chicken pox, syphilis, oral thrush etc.
• Due to allergy
• Dietary deficiency like deficiency of Vitamin B, C etc
• In immunodeficiency syndromes like AIDS, Diabetes Mellitus
• In oral cancers

Treatment Options:
The best treatment for curing oral ulcers is to remove their cause. However the pain can be reduced by avoiding spicy foods, doing gargles with warm saline water, keeping the mouth clean. There are also sprays or ointments available to reduce the pain. They usually heal with in 7- 10 days if the problem still persists or the pain is unbearable then consult the dentist.