That’s what dental clinics like ours at Crescent Heights are here for: to assess and diagnose any oral health problems. Plus, regular dentist visits keep your mouth fresh and healthy and teach you about oral hygiene, so that you can go about your day with a clean and painless smile. Book an appointment with us today if you’re concerned about mouth ulcers, and keep reading to learn why you might get them.
In this post, we’ll explain how to diagnose and understand recurring mouth ulcers, assess why they keep coming back and offer tips on how to get rid of them quickly and potentially stop them from reoccurring.
Diagnosing and Assessing Recurring Mouth Ulcers
Mouth ulcers are a common problem and are rarely anything to worry about. They can be sore and irritating, but they usually heal by themselves. If they do frequently reappear, however, they might also be referred to as canker sores or Aphthous Stomatitis.
Ulcers usually appear on the inside of the mouth: most commonly on the cheek, tongue, or lips. But, they can also sometimes appear at the back of the mouth. Symptoms may include tingling, burning or inflammation and will likely be similar each time you get them. The mouth very sensitive, and knowing how to look after it is essential.
If you get mouth ulcers frequently, then you’ll know how painful they can be and that you can get several at one time. If you are getting them regularly, for example every few weeks, months, or even a few times a year, they are likely to be categorized as recurring.
Canker sores can be confused with cold sores, which are a different infection caused by herpes, and it is important to know the difference.
Why Do They Keep Coming Back?
A long-lasting or recurring mouth ulcers may be a sign of deeper issues, so it is best to get it checked out by a dentist.
However, trauma, vitamin B12 deficiency, specific allergies, and diseases such as lupus, Behçet’s syndrome, and Crohn’s disease can cause mouth ulcers to reoccur. These health issues are more severe and will need medical treatment. If you’re worried at all, then you should get yourself assessed.
Here are some more common and less serious factors that might cause recurrent ulcers:
- Tiredness and stress
- Biting your cheeks, having mouth burns, or brushing the mouth and tongue too hard
- Food intolerance or allergies
- Eating sharp, acidic foods
These milder factors are all manageable to some extent. However, it’s best to visit your doctor or dentist to determine whether you have an allergy or if stress is affecting your health.
How Do I Treat Recurring Mouth Ulcers?
Most of the time, mouth ulcers go away on their own within three or four days. However, recurring ulcers may only disappear temporarily before returning. If you are worried about this and if home treatments aren’t working, then you should go to see a medical professional.
Listed below are some treatments that may help:
Home treatments:
Gargle and rinse your mouth with warm salt water and make sure the ulcers are well covered. This might sting a little, but you’ll be amazed at the results.
Eat bland and soft foods – soups are good – to minimize pain and irritation to the affected areas.
Over the counter treatments:
You can buy antibacterial or pain-killing mouthwash to rinse the ulcers with. This will keep them clean and will hopefully prevent the spread of infection.
Certain anesthetic agents may also be useful. These usually come in cream or gel form and should be administered directly to the ulcer with clean hands. Always read the label to see guidelines for use.
These treatments should help ulcers heal and reduce irritation, but they won’t necessarily stop them from returning. As mentioned above, continual recurrence might indicate an underlying health issue.
Severe recurrence:
In severe cases where mouth ulcers reoccur very regularly, a medical professional will need to diagnose the issue. They will look for underlying deficiencies or diseases and will guide you through appropriate treatment steps.
How Do I Prevent Mouth Ulcer Recurrence?
It is difficult to solve the problem of mouth ulcers, and there is no real way to prevent them. Recurring ulcers may, however, be prevented, or at least temporarily halted, by the treatment of an underlying cause.
Some simple habit changes might help prevent mouth ulcers. See below some suggested changes to your lifestyle to prevent the likelihood of your ulcers returning:
- Get a minimum of eight hours of sleep per night
- Reduce stress: take time to relax and see a doctor if your stress seems unmanageable
- If you cut your mouth, rinse it with mouthwash straight away. This could help to prevent an ulcer forming
- Avoid any known allergens, even mild ones
Sometimes, hormone changes and genetics have a role to play in the problem of repeated mouth ulcer growths. Unfortunately, these can’t be prevented, but speaking to a health professional about ways to manage them is a good idea.
Interested in More Treatment and Prevention Tips?
If you would like to learn more about oral health, dental treatments, and problems such as mouth ulcers, please visit our website. We can offer expert advice and excellent treatments that will make your mouth feel fresh and healthy.
We provide all kinds of oral health services and advice, dental check-ups and treatments, and cosmetic dentistry. Please feel free to read our blog which provides many tips on a wide range of dental related issues.
And finally, if you have any questions, whether urgent or simply curious, then please contact us via our website messaging service or by email or phone, details of which can be found on our contact page.