Mouth Ulcers in Children

Mouth Ulcers in Children

Developing a mouth ulcer is really common and most of us will have an ulcer in mouth at some point in our lives. Studies have shown that Mouth Ulcers are more frequent in young adults and females, but it is also common to see mouth ulcers in children. Luckily, the condition is not contagious, so kissing or sharing drinking cups or cutlery won't give you ulcers.

What Is a Mouth Ulcer?
Mouth ulcers, also called aphthous Stomatitis, are painful sores that occur inside the oral cavity--usually on the gums, cheek, palate or tongue. Speaking, eating, drinking or brushing your teeth can often exacerbate the pain.

There are three major types of mouth ulcer:

• Minor ulcers. These ulcers, approximately 2-8mm across, normally disappear after 10--14 days.


• Major ulcers.Bigger ulcers with a raised or uneven border are more serious and can leave oral scarring. They take longer, about up to several weeks, to clear.


• Herpetiform ulcers. This is where many smaller, pinhead-sized ulcers occur in clusters.

Symptoms of Mouth Ulcers in Children
Your child may have a mouth ulcer if he or she has any of the following:

• Intense mouth pain


• Swollen gums that may be bleeding


• A lack of appetite or refusal to eat or drink anything


• Sullen mood or lack of energy


• A sudden fever


• Small liquid-filled blisters or sores in the oral cavity

What Causes Mouth Ulcers in Children?
There are a number of reasons children may have mouth ulcers:

• Accidental biting the inside of the cheek when speaking or eating.


• Mouth trauma, for instance from sharp pieces of food or chewing pens.


• Poor tooth-brushing technique, causing irritation in the delicate oral tissues.


• High levels of Stress and anxiety.


• Fatigue and weariness, for example, from a disturbance to sleep patterns, can suppress your child's immune system, leaving them susceptible to infections such as ulcers.


• Changes to the diet, for instance, an increase in sugar consumption following a birthday party.

How to Reduce the Risks of Mouth Ulcer
Although you can't stop them, you can reduce your children's chances of developing mouth ulcers by limiting the following risk factors:

• Try to reduce stress in your child's life.


• Cut back on acidic food, such as citrus fruit, tomatoes, pineapple and orange juice.


• Make sure your child eats meals at regular times.


• Establish a set schedule for bed to ensure your child gets enough sleep every night.

How to Treat Mouth Ulcers in Children
Children's mouth ulcers are the same as adults' – they may be very tender, painful and can take up to 2 weeks to clear up. The pain is often worse when eating or drinking.

You can also ease the child's pain from ulcer by the following steps:

• If the child is under 1, give him or her formula milk or Pedialyte®. If the child is over 1 year of age, make sure he or she gets plenty of liquids, for example, milk, water and iced pops. But try to avoid giving him/her fruit juices, as these are acidic and can irritate the oral cavity.


• Your child will need to be looked after whilst suffering from a mouth ulcer, but won't require any time off school or childcare unless he or she develops a fever of about 100°F. Wait 24 hours after the fever has passed before sending your child back to school.


• Provide lots of soft food for your child, but don't make them eat if they really don’t want to as they may have lost their appetite. However, do make sure they get plenty of fluid to prevent Dehydration.


• If your child is old enough to gargle, he or she can try gargling with warm salt water. Cut out spicy and acidic foods from meals, as these can irritate the mouth. Avoid chewing gum, as this may exacerbate any pain.


• Make sure your child practice good oral hygiene to get rid of any stuck food in the mouth. Ensure they use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean their teeth and floss their teeth every day.


• Over-the-counter medicines for healing the sore and reducing pain are available but may not be suitable for children, so speak with your doctor or pharmacist first. Tylenol and Motrin are often prescribed for children, but you should avoid any drugs containing aspirin. If the mouth ulcer is very painful, you can put some anesthetic mouth gel on the sore. Mouth ulcers unresponsive to over-the-counter or home remedies may need prescription medicine.

How to Get Rid of Mouth Ulcers

How to Get Rid of Mouth Ulcers

Mouth Ulcers, commonly referred to, as Canker Sores are an extremely uncomfortable and annoying lesion(s) that can form in your mouth. These sores can form due to various things. You can get a canker sore after having some dental work done, or there may be some type of problem in your immune system. Hormonal changes, allergies to certain foods, Stress or a deficiency of vitamin B12 can often times jump-start these sores. The good news is that both medical treatments and home remedies are available to get rid of mouth ulcers.

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Mouth Ulcers
How to cure persistent mouth ulcers:

1. Saline rinse
Using a saline solution is a great way to disinfect your mouth, which can help clear away the canker sore and also help in prevention. Mix some warm water with salt, rinse and swish in your mouth and spit it out in the sink when you are finished. Try to repeat this process three times a day, especially after you eat anything.

2. Mouthwash rinse
Rinse with mouthwash, such as a diphenhydramine suspension wash, like benedryl Allergy rinse in the morning, after meals and in the evening before bedtime. These types of rinses not only help to clear up the canker sore, but they also help to reduce the pain.

3. Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide can be used to help in reducing the canker sores, it acts as an antiseptic, and so it thoroughly cleans and disinfects your mouth. You can add to warm water and rinse with it and you can also apply it directly to the sore with the use of a cotton swab. Make sure to let it absorb for 15 minutes before eating or drinking.

4. Ice chips
Ice chips are an easy way to help out with the pain; they numb as well as reduce swelling. You can put ice chip in a thermal cup and just suck on them throughout the day; your tongue can help guide them to the correct area. Drinking cold water, when ice chips are not available, is also helpful.

5. PH balance
Excess acid or a low PH in your mouth can often be the cause of these sores, so reducing the acidic foods, such as citrus foods, spicy foods and carbonated drinks is a good idea. You can apply milk of magnesia using a cotton swab, about twice a day; can help to counteract the PH level in your mouth.

6. Pain relievers
The pain that you feel from these ulcers can be annoying and also distracting. For adults aspirin or another over-the-counter pain reliever can sometimes help to ease the pain. There are also products that numb, such as baby teething medications, can be applied directly to the sore, but remember the sores have to run their course, so patience is a virtue.

7. Garlic
Surprisingly, garlic contains an antiseptic and contains antiviral as well as antibacterial qualities, it is called Allicin. So rubbing half a clove of garlic on your sore for about a minute, followed by a water rinse in about an hour after, can help to speed up the healing process, as well as ease the discomfort.

8. Turmeric paste
Turmeric paste can be applied to your sore, to act as a cooling agent and a natural antiseptic. The paste can be made easily, just mix 1 tablespoon of water with 3 tablespoons of turmeric in a small bowl and mix it up until it forms a paste. It can be applied to you sore, once a day, with a cotton swab. You need to let it stay on your sore for a couple minutes and then just simply rinse your mouth out.

9. Peppermint oil
To help speed up the healing process, and the pain and irritation, peppermint oil can be rubbed in your mouth with a cotton swab and left in for about fifteen minutes. Once that’s done, simply rinse your mouth out. And allow it to work.

Medical Treatments to Get Rid of Mouth Ulcers
1. Dentist visit
If the sore just won't go away for over three weeks, it’s time to see the dentist. The dentist can check to see what the problem is.

2. Medicated mouthwash or corticosteroid
If the dentist says that it is just a canker sore, ask him about corticosteroid gel or a medicated mouthwash. These are some prescription medications that are stronger to help rid you of that stubborn sore.

3. Regular dental check-up
During a regular dental check-up you can keep consistent oral hygiene, which will prevent future mouth ulcers from happening.

4. Nutritional supplements
In some cases the problem is a lack of consumption of the proper nutrients that your body needs. In such cases the dentist can prescribe you nutritional supplements, such as folate, which is folic acid, vitamins, such as B6 and B12, and zinc.

Mouth Ulcers

Mouth Ulcers






If there is any painful sores or lesions in the mouth, or a break in the mucous lining of the mouth it can cause mouth ulcer. A mouth ulcer often occurs in the lips and under the tongue area and sometimes on the roof of the mouth. It is characterized by the inflammation or infection on the soft tissues of the oral cavity.

Two type of mouth ulcers are recognized namely aphthous ulcers called Canker Sores and Cold Sores (Oral Herpes or fever blisters).

Causes :

The main cause for getting mouth ulcer is trauma or minor injury on the mouth area. It may be due to bacterial infection or due to the wound caused by using sharp pointed objects on the mouth. Sometimes, taking hot foods and excess of salt can damage the soft tissues or lining of the mouth causing ulcer. Many times, mouth ulcers will get cured if the source of injury or object is removed. It may occur due to dental braces or due to the painful process during wisdom tooth removal.

Poorly fit dental fillers or fixtures can also cause mouth ulcers and it can be easily cured, if the fixtures are removed. Getting mouth ulcer is common if you visit dentist for any lengthy procedure like fixing teeth or removing it.

Strong chemicals like alcohol can harm the soft tissues giving rise to ulcer. Those who are in the habit of smoking will get mouth ulcers, if they suddenly quit smoking.

It may be due to viral or fungal infections on the mouth.

Symptoms :

Presence of lesions or blisters on the lips and inside mouth is a common symptom of mouth ulcer. The lesions will be reddish white color with little pain. For some people, it may give burning sensation when touched. It may feel hot. There may be problems in talking and swallowing food. Sometimes, it will spread to other parts of the mouth if the infection is very severe.

Pictures of Mouth Ulcers :

Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Mouth Ulcers

Treatment :

Normally oral ulcers are approached with symptomatic treatment which means the symptoms are controlled first.

Follow proper oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly for cleaning plague or other food particles.

Using topical antihistamines may provide great relief from pain and inflammation. Doctors may recommend corticosteroids for treating severe mouth ulcers. Taking lozenges and drugs like Ibuprofen and paracetamol gives some relief from pain. Using mouth rinses that contain benzocaine is recommended for individuals with moderate mouth ulcers.

Avoid taking hot and spicy foods which will automatically reduce inflammation. Generally, ulcers will fade within a week or maximum 10 days. If you have similar symptoms, with pain and swelling for more than 2 weeks, you need immediate medical care.

Mouth Ulcers

Mouth Ulcers

What are Mouth Ulcers?

Mouth ulcer is a round shaped wound in the oral cavity. It may have developed from a very small lesion or as just from a sore forming like a crater (indention/ Depression) inside. This ulcer is painful and mostly intolerable depending on the amount of severity. The highly affected areas of mouth ulcers are the soft parts, like the lips, cheeks, under the surface of the tongue and the soft palate (back part of the roof of the mouth). People of all ages are greatly affected by mouth ulcers. The less careful we are and unhealthy, the more we become prone to the formation of mouth ulcers. But take note, this is not contagious and cannot be transmitted through the saliva or direct contact.

Types of Mouth Ulcers

There are different types of mouth ulcers:

First, we have the minor ulcer; a common type of ulcer but the least problem of all the three. Though ulcerations (formation of ulcer) can make you worry, minor ulcers are typically harmless for it is not usually associated with pain – if it is, pain is tolerable and once healed, no visible scars formed.

Major ulcers, the second type of ulcer are a much bigger problem than the first one. Its formation is obviously in a larger scale, plus pain and tends to linger longer in the oral cavity thus leading to scar formation when healed.

The last kind of ulcer is the herpetiform ulcers, a formation of clustered ulcers in the oral mucosa– resulting to a large group of supposed tiny ulcers. Sounds alarming, but herpetiform ulcers could not last for more than 10 days in the oral cavity leaving a no scars in the oral cavity.

Mouth Ulcers Symptoms

Symptoms vary as to what type of mouth ulcer a person has. All types of ulcers in the mouth would have discolorations as it may have lead to infection; it may be red, white, yellow, or grey in color. It is a round-shaped inflamed crater affecting the inside of the lips, cheeks (buccal mucosa), areas under the surface of the tongue and the soft palate (back part of the roof of the mouth). With the presence of these ulcers, the person affected would automatically have difficulty in speaking, eating/chewing and drinking extreme beverages – and unfortunately, bad breath.

The following are the enumeration of symptoms from the specific forms of mouth ulcers:

Minor ulcers

• Round-shaped depressions not wider than 10mm


• Ulcerations are not deep enough to produce intolerable pain


• Lasts 7 to 10 days and does not result to scarring formation

Major ulcers

• Ulcerations are deep and can produce bearable to unbearable amount of pain


• Scar formation is expected for the ulcer can last more than a month’s time, if not treated accordingly

Herpetiform ulcers

• A group of mouth ulcers, clustered together despite its dot-like size


• Clears in 7 to 10 days time and will not leave a scar on the affected area

Mouth Ulcers Causes

The exact cause of mouth ulcers is not easy to identify provided there are many factors involved in the formation of wound. It can be because of some alterations of the immune system or can be an effect of a certain action. But common causes for the formation of mouth ulcers are identified below:

Mouth injury
Excessive use of toothbrush can cause mouth ulcers. The abusive way of maintaining oral hygiene can also be a way of negligence. Presence of faulty or ill-fitting dental apparatuses in the mouth is also a cause.

Chemical injury
Ingestion of highly corrosive chemicals or, if not careful, medications can damage the oral mucosa resulting to wound formation
Allergies
Ingestion of allergens triggers the body’s natural defenses, making the mouth inflamed and prone to ulcer formation

You're reading Mouth Ulcers posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.

Smoking cessation
Common to smokers who experience chemical changes are prone to develop mouth ulcers

Medical conditions
One who may have acquired a viral infection, who have autoimmune diseases can obtain mouth ulcers in a severe form if not treated or given any preventive care

Diet
People who receive fewer amounts of Vitamin C, B2, iron, and niacin are expectant to ulcerations. Ingestion of highly acidic and sharp foods and drinks can trigger abrasions and/or damage mucosal lining.

Mouth Ulcers Treatment

We should treat first by preventing the formation of mouth ulcers. Awareness and being health conscious can be of assistance to oneself. With the following causes enumerated, we could easily identify the prevention techniques necessary for the formation of mouth ulcers.

Proper identification of the probable causes is a must. Avoid mouth and chemical injury. Proper identification of the triggering factors of allergies is a must. Know thy self first. If can be avoided, make sure that what you ingest is harmless. Be a dear to yourself and if you have a medical condition that can lead to mouth ulcer formation, seek preventive aide from your physician or go on a strict diet. Avoid the foods that can trigger ulcerations such as excessively hot and spicy foods. Always seek medical advice and be vigilant.

Another good way of treating oneself is the use of proper protection. Always keep yourself fit and avoid as much as possible stress. Take supplemental foods and vitamins necessary to replenish energy losses from day to day work.

Medical remedies are a must so not to attain untoward effect of untreated ulcers. The use of paste and gel treatments in securing the medicine applied on the ulcer is recommended. Once topical analgesics, corticosteroids, antacids are applied, the use of pastes and gels is to assist in the healing process. The use of antimicrobial mouthwash is of assistance in killing microorganisms that are growing or may be growing. This is to battle off infection and a very good way of prevention. In reduction of the inflammation, corticosteroid is prescribed by the doctor. Its action is to lessen the inflammation by inhibiting the inflammatory process.

Mouth Ulcers Home Remedies

One of the symptoms of mouth ulcers is it is painful. There are techniques common to the public in alleviating pain. In numbing the pain, first applying ice on the sore can relieve the discomfort temporarily. But in order to counteract the acid present in the oral cavity, the use of antacids against the ulcer can anesthetized the pain.

What is usually done at home is some improvisation; the following are some mouthwash that can assist in the treatment of mouth ulcers:

• The use of gentian violet is typically used for fungal infections in the mouth but it has been widely used at home for relieving Mouth Sores and ulcers. It has been used to fight off bacteria. At home, one should dilute gentian violet and use it as a gargle once or twice a day.


• Coconut, known as the tree of life, has presented one of its many uses, as a catalyst in the healing process of a wound. Using coconut milk as a gargle for about 3 to 5 times a day with a spoonful of honey is widely used at home.


• Boiling a few leaves of basil and wait for it to warm – then using it as a gargle is a total help in treating the untoward symptom, which is foul smelling breath. Chewing a handful of basil leaves is also a preferable method.


• The famous baking soda can also be a solution as a mouth rinse. With its basic quality, it can neutralize the acidic state of the mouth.

Mouth Ulcers Pictures