Pathology
WHAT ARE MOUTH ULCERS?
Mouth ulcers are painful and inconveniencing lesions in the mouth. They are fairly common with evidence suggesting 75% of the population will suffer from mouth ulcers at some stage in their life.
A mouth ulcer can cause pain and discomfort, particularly when eating, drinking or brushing your teeth.
Most mouth ulcers only last 7 to 14 days, although they may last for several weeks in more severe cases.
It can occur at any age but is most common in young people between ten and twenty, more in women than in men Ascolta Trascrizione fonetica
Dizionario - Visualizza dizionario dettagliato
Mouth ulcers are small cuts or lesions. The top layer of the skin inside the mouth is removed to reveal the sensitive nerve endings. The exposure of the nerves is what makes mouth ulcers so painful. Mouth ulcers are made worse by food and bacteria which can infect the sore and increase the size and duration of the mouth ulcer.
Mouth ulcers are easily identifiable by their appearance. A mouth ulcer will be:
- round or oval in shape
- white, yellow or grey in colour
- inflamed around the edge
Most mouth ulcers usually occur on:
- the inside of the lips
- the inside of the cheeks
- the floor of the mouth
- the under surface of the tongue
It is rare to get a mouth ulcer on the roof of your mouth.
Some people suffer from one small ulcer whilst others may have multiple lesions. Mouth ulcers restrict normal living and make things like eating, drinking and even talking difficult. There are a variety of mouth ulcers, the most common kind are apthous ulcers which usually heal within 7-14 days.
The exact cause of mouth ulcers is unknown although they have been linked to:
- stress
- vitamin/mineral deficiency
- spicy/acidic foods
- hormonal changes
- tissue injury
Quitting smoking can also increase mouth ulcers. This is because cigarettes harden the skin inside the mouth, so when people stop smoking the skin returns to normal and is more easily damaged, thereby allowing mouth ulcers to develop.
People who wear braces and ill fitting dentures tend to suffer from more mouth ulcers and sores because of the continual abrasion against the gums and lips. These mouth ulcers can be difficult to heal because the braces and dentures keep rubbing on the ulcers.
