When Chronic Mouth Sores Warrant Expert Care

We’ve all had small sores that pop up on or in our mouths, usually at an inopportune time. But how do we know they’re not something more serious that might need medical attention?

At Reality Bites Dental, we provide lasting relief from these painful sores. Here’s what we usually tell our patients when their chronic mouth sores warrant expert care.

What are mouth sores?

Mouth sores, also called mouth ulcers or canker sores, are small, shallow ulcers that appear anywhere in and around your mouth: on your lips, gums, inner cheeks, tongue, or even the roof of your mouth. Note that these are different from cold sores (fever blisters), which appear on the outside of your mouth.

They can be painful, making eating, drinking, and speaking uncomfortable. Types of sores include:

• Canker sores — most common
• Oral thrush — caused by yeast
• Oral lichen planus — an immune response
• Leukoplakia — excess cell growth
• Erythroplakia — a symptom of smoking

Mouth sores can appear due to various causes, including wearing braces, accidentally biting the inside of your mouth, having an allergic reaction, experiencing hormonal fluctuations, and dealing with stress. They’re not caused by sexually transmitted diseases, and you can’t spread them by sharing food, drinks, or kissing.

How are they treated?

Most mouth sores go away on their own within one or two weeks. However, you should come in to see us for expert care if they:

• Last longer than three weeks
• Are unusually large
• Show no improvement with medication
• Occur frequently
• You have new sores appear before your old ones heal

Treatments can include antiseptic gels and mouth rinses, steroid ointments, and immunosuppressants. Low-level laser therapy can also be used for certain sores.

It’s possible for mouth sores to indicate a deeper health issue, depending on how they respond to treatment sores respond to treatment. If they occur often or don’t heal normally, you may have a weakened or compromised immune system, or you could be dealing with an issue such as Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, or lupus.

Mouth sores may also be a sign of oral cancer, so if they meet any of the qualifications above or don’t heal with treatment, be sure to seek our expert care as soon as you can.

If you’ve been experiencing mouth sores, our team at Reality Bites Dental can treat them. Just call our friendly staff at our San Antonio office at 210-399-5951, or use the online scheduling tool now to book your own appointment.