Overview
Symptoms
Mouth ulcers are small, painful lesions or lumps that develop in your mouth or at the base of your gums. They can make eating, drinking, and talking uncomfortable.
Causes
There is no one cause behind mouth ulcers however they can occur due to:
- Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections
- Injury either from an accidental biting of the cheek, dental work or overzealous brushing,
- Sensitivity to acidic foods such as strawberries, orange, lemons and pineapples
- Sensitivity to coffee and chocolate
- Low levels of zinc, iron, folic acid, vitamin B12
- Allergy to bacteria in the mouth
- Dental braces
- Hormonal changes
- Lack of sleep
Treatment
Most mouth ulcers will disappear on their own. However, you can try self help treatments such as:
- Using a rinse of salty water and baking soda
- Covering mouth ulcers with baking soda paste
- Applying ice
And you can try using these preparations that are available from the pharmacy:
- A gel containing a topical anaesthetic such as benzocaine like Orajel, Anbesol or Iglu
- A mouth rinse (Corsodyl or Oraldene)
Treatment for Mouth ulcers is available through the Minor Ailments scheme.