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Mouth Ulcers
Most small mouth ulcers heal, but non-healing ulcers need prompt evaluation, especially with tobacco or supari use.
Overview
Mouth ulcers can come from accidental biting, sharp teeth, braces, dentures, stress, nutritional deficiency, infections, or systemic disease. In India, non-healing ulcers must be taken seriously because tobacco and areca nut increase oral cancer risk.
Key takeaways
- ✓Simple ulcers usually improve within one to two weeks.
- ✓Repeated trauma from a sharp tooth or denture can delay healing.
- ✓Ulcers linked with tobacco or supari exposure need screening.
- ✓Do not apply harsh chemicals, crushed tablets, or irritants to ulcers.
What you can do
- 1Avoid spicy, acidic, and sharp foods while healing.
- 2Rinse gently with warm salt water.
- 3Cover poking orthodontic wires with wax if they are irritating the cheek.
- 4Keep the area clean and avoid tobacco in every form.
When to book a dentist
- !An ulcer lasts more than two weeks.
- !Ulcers keep recurring or are unusually large.
- !There is a sharp tooth, broken filling, brace wire, or denture sore.
- !You use tobacco, gutkha, pan masala, khaini, or supari.
Emergency warning signs
- !Ulcer with neck lump, numbness, unexplained bleeding, or difficulty swallowing.
- !Rapid swelling, fever, or dehydration because eating is impossible.