Canker sores – what’s that all about? If you’re looking for the definition, here it is: basically, canker sores are those pesky ulcers that form on the soft tissues inside your mouth. Want to know more? Read on:
-Cold sores and canker sores are different things. Cold sores are lesions that develop on the surface of your lips and they can be contagious. Canker sores form on the insides of the mouth and are not contagious.
-Minor canker sores are the most common type of canker sore. They are usually rather small and oval shaped with a red edge. They typically go away in one to two weeks.
-Major canker sores are fairly atypical. They’re bigger and more rooted than minor canker sores. They are most often perfectly round but can also have irregular borders. They can hurt quite a bit and can take up to six weeks to heal with extensive scarring.
-Herpetiform canker sores tend to appear later in life. They are the size of pinpoints and usually happen in clusters of 10 to 100. It’s possible that they will join together into one large ulcer with asymmetrical borders. They usually heal without scarring in one to two weeks.
-Canker sores can be a side-effect of small injuries, overactive brushing, specific types of toothpaste or mouthwash, food sensitivities, a lack of certain kinds of minerals and vitamins, helicobacter pylori bacteria, hormonal shifts during menstruation, stress, or some diseases and conditions relating to the digestive or immune system.
-You’ll know when to see a doctor when your sores are abnormally big, return frequently, or are extremely painful. Also consider it if the sores prevent comfortable eating or drinking or if it is accompanied by a high fever.
If you have any questions about your canker sores not addressed here, please feel free to contact Dr. Brandon Burger at Brandon Burger, DDS in Hermitage, Tennessee, by calling 615-889-8202.