Mouth ulcer

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A mouth ulcer is a painful sore in the mouth on either the cheeks or gums. They usually appear red or yellow in colour. Mouth ulcers occur either singly or in clusters, causing a lot of discomfort or pain. They heal within 7 to 10 days. Mouth ulcers are different from cold sores that appear on the outer lips and are due to a viral infection.

There are different types of mouth ulcers. A single mouth ulcer is usually caused by damage to the mouth, like biting the cheek, or damage to the gum with a toothbrush or a sharp tooth or filling. They usually go away once the source of the problem is treated.

A recurrent ulcer is one that comes and goes, sometimes every few weeks. There are three types:

Minor ulcers are the most common. They can appear inside the cheeks, on the lips, tongue, and gums. Most of these ulcers are round, the size of the top of a pencil and can sometimes come in clusters. You can get four to six at any one time.
Large ulcers (major type) are more severe, have an irregular border, and can last for five to ten weeks. They may appear near the tonsils and can be very painful, especially when swallowing. You usually only get one at a time.
It is also possible to have up to 100 very small painful ulcers (herpetiform type), which last for one to two weeks.

The last two varieties are very rare.

Ulcers are very common. Most people will suffer from single ulcers at one time or another. Over 20% of the population have recurrent mouth ulcers at some time in their lives. Often they begin in childhood or adolescence, but most people grow out of them by their late twenties. In many cases, several members of the family may suffer from these ulcers, which is due to a family tendency and not infection.