A mouth ulcer or canker sore is a painful open sore inside the mouth caused by a break in the mucous membrane. The condition is also called aphthous stomatitis.

Symptoms

A mouth ulcer appears as a yellow or grey oval, on average about 3 mm across, with an inflamed red border. The ulcer, which itself is often extremely painful when agitated, may be accompanied by a painful swelling of the lymph nodes below the jaw, which can be mistaken for toothache.

Causes

The immediate cause of mouth ulcers is unknown, but factors that appear to provoke them include stress and illness, damage from rough teeth, and deficiencies in vitamin B12 and folic acid. A common urban myth is that mouth ulcers are directly connected to the onset of the Herpes simplex virus, but in reality ulcers associated with herpes are of an entirely different nature from mouth ulcers.

Other disorders can cause mouth ulcers, including oral thrush, leukoplakia, gingivostomatitis and oral lichen planus . Mouth ulcers are also associated with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, coeliac disease (gluten sensitivity) and Behcet's disease. The treatment depends on the cause.

Treatment

Mouth ulcers normally heal without treatment within seven to ten days. The symptoms can be alleviated by medicines such as mouthwashes, pastilles and pain-relieving gels, which are available in drugstores. Treatments based on antibiotics and steroids are reserved for severe cases, and should be used only under medical supervision. Good oral hygiene and avoidance of spicy foods can help to reduce the pain. Rinsing one's mouth with a solution made from teaspoon of Baking soda in a cup of water will temporarily numb the ulcer by neutralizing the acidic environment in the mouth. Powdered alum has also been known to dry out mouth ulcers quickly, reducing pain and allowing for faster healing. Some people recommend swabbing the sore with hydrogen peroxide followed by a coating of milk of magnesia. Others swear by making a paste of baking soda and water or an antacid (like Tums) and water and applying the paste directly to the sore. Anbesol and Campho-Phenique will deaden the pain and some say help in healing. However, most home remedies seem to include something mildly antibiotic (Listerine or hydrogen peroxide) or an antacid (Tums, baking soda, or milk of magnesia) or both.

If the ulcer does not heal within a week, a doctor may cauterize it using a silver-nitrate applicator. This procedure immediately burns off the sore, and will completely dissapear within a few hours.

Some dentists recommend a sulfuric acid solution for treating mouth ulcers, such as debacterol. Dentists can also use a laser to stop the pain immediately and let the ulcer heal in two to three days. The miracle cures that are advertised should be viewed with skepticism.

Prevention

In some cases, switching toothpastes can prevent mouth ulcers from occurring, with some being able to reduce the occurrence of ulcers by approximately 80%. Sodium dodecyl sulfate, a detergent found in most toothpastes, often increases the likelihood of an occurance of mouth ulcers. Using toothpaste free of this compound has been found to help many people by reducing the amount and size of ulcers and in some cases, completely stopping them.

Rinsing your mouth with a mix of teaspoon of salt disolved in 250ml of water before brushing your teeth acts as a mild antibiotic and can speed up the time taken for the mouth ulcer to heal as well as reducing pain in the short term.