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Mouth ulcers include lesions, sores, laceration, abrasions, or any open break in the mucosa of the mouth, lips or tongue. Mouth ulcers may also be called stomatitis and are a symptom of a variety of mild to serious diseases, disorders and conditions. Mouth ulcers can result from vitamin deficiencies, infection, inflammation, trauma, malignancy and other diseases and abnormal processes.
Mouth ulcers can occur in any age group or population. Mouth ulcers can be the result of a mild condition, such as a canker sore or excessive or overly aggressive tooth brushing. Mouth ulcers can also be the result of a moderate condition, disorder or disease, such as gingivitis or a cold sore. Mouth ulcers can also occur due to some diseases, disorders and conditions that can be serious, even life-threatening. These include oral cancer and leukoplakia.
Depending on the cause, mouth ulcers can be short-term and disappear quickly, such as when mouth ulcers occur due to ill-fitting dentures that are replaced by properly fitting dentures. Mouth ulcers can also occur chronically or long-term, such as mouth ulcers that happens with oral cancer or periodontal disease that is not treated.
Mouth ulcers can be the result of a wide variety of other conditions, including trauma to the mouth, teeth or gums, and as a side effect of certain medications, such as chemotherapy. For more details about causes, see causes of mouth ulcers.
Mouth ulcers often occur in conjunction with other symptoms, which vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Other common symptoms include mouth pain, bad breath, jaw swelling, tooth fracture, bleeding gums, unusual patches or rashes in the mouth or on the lips or tongue.
Diagnosing mouth ulcers and their root cause begins with taking a thorough personal and family medical history, including symptoms, and completing a physical examination. This includes an oral examination and oral X-rays. A full dental examination, performed by a dentist and/or periodontist (a specialist in periodontal disease) may be recommended is the cause is believed to be due to periodontal disease.
Diagnosing many common causes of mouth ulcers, such as oral thrush, cold sores and canker sores, can often be made by the symptoms and the appearance of the mouth ulcers. Making a diagnosis of mouth ulcers may also include performing a variety of tests to help to diagnose potential underlying diseases, conditions or disorders, such as oral cancer and leukoplakia. Tests can include biopsy of the mouth ulcers.
A diagnosis of mouth ulcers and their cause can easily be delayed or missed because symptoms of mouth ulcers may be mild or intermittent and for other reasons. For information on misdiagnosis, refer to misdiagnosis of mouth ulcers.
Treatment of mouth ulcers varies based on the underlying cause. Some conditions can be easily and successfully treated and cured, while others may require more intensive treatment and may not have an optimal prognosis. For more information on treatment, refer to treatment of mouth ulcers....more »
Diagnosing mouth ulcers and its cause may be delayed or missed because in some cases, mouth ulcers may not be severe enough or painful enough for a person to seek medical care. Mouth ulcers are a symptom of many different conditions, some potentially serious, such as oral cancer, so a thorough medical evaluation is needed to ensure an accurate diagnosis of the reason for ...more misdiagnosis »
The following medical conditions are some of the possible
causes of Mouth ulcers.
There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor
about your symptoms.
See full list of 253 causes of Mouth ulcers
» Review Causes of Mouth ulcers: Causes | Symptom Checker » | Assessment Questionnaire »
Review the causes of these more specific types of Mouth ulcers:
Review causes of types of Mouth ulcers in more specific categories:
See full list of 12 types for Mouth ulcers
Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Mouth ulcers, as listed in our database. Visit the Symptom Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.
See full list of 501 Symptom Checkers for Mouth ulcers
Treatment of mouth ulcers begins with prevention. This includes seeking regular dental care (twice yearly) and maintaining good oral hygiene, such as brushing the teeth at least twice a day and flossing once a day.
Treatment plans for mouth ulcers are individualized based on the underlying cause, the presence of coexisting diseases, the age and medical history of the patient, ...Mouth ulcers Treatments
Some of the possible treatments listed in sources for treatment of Mouth ulcers may include:
Review further information on Mouth ulcers Treatments.
Real-life user stories relating to Mouth ulcers:
Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Mouth ulcers or relevant symptoms:
Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Mouth ulcers. Some of these are listed below :
See full list of 16
diagnostic tests for Mouth ulcers
The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible
causes of Mouth ulcers as a symptom.
Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using,
including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
See full list of 86
medications causing Mouth ulcers
When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Mouth ulcers as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
See full list of 51 drug interactions causing Mouth ulcers
Some of the comorbid or associated medical symptoms for Mouth ulcers may include these symptoms:
See all associated comorbid symptoms for Mouth ulcers
Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:
Research the causes of related medical symptoms such as:
Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Mouth ulcers:
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Mouth ulcers. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.
It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.
Create your printable checklist here.
See Mouth ulcers Assessment Questionnaire (31 listings)
Read more about causes and Mouth ulcers deaths.
Other ways to find a doctor, or use doctor, physician and specialist online research services:
Research extensive quality ratings and patient safety measures for hospitals, clinics and medical facilities in health specialties related to Mouth ulcers:
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Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible
causes of Mouth ulcers as a symptom include:
See full list of 253
causes of Mouth ulcers
- (Source - Diseases Database)
A loss of mucous substance of the mouth showing local excavation of the surface, resulting from the sloughing of inflammatory necrotic tissue. It is the result of a variety of causes, e.g., denture irritation, aphthous stomatitis (STOMATITIS, APHTHOUS); NOMA; necrotizing gingivitis (GINGIVITIS, NECROTIZING, ULCERATIVE); TOOTHBRUSHING; and various irritants. (From Jablonski, Dictionary of Dentistry, 1992, p842)
- (Source - Diseases Database)
The list of organs typically affected by Mouth ulcers may include, but is not limited to:
The list below shows some of the causes of Mouth ulcers mentioned in various sources:
See full list of 253 causes of Mouth ulcers
This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Mouth ulcers. Of the 253 causes of Mouth ulcers that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:
See the analysis of the prevalence of 253 causes of Mouth ulcers
The following list of conditions have 'Mouth ulcers' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Mouth ulcers or choose View All.
The following list of medical conditions have Mouth ulcers or similar listed as a medical complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our free interactive user forums.
Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.
See a list of all the medical forums
This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Mouth ulcers based
on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient:
Depending on the seriousness of the onset of Mouth ulcers, you may want to consult one of the following medical professionals.
Important:In extreme cases, always seek advice from emergency services :
Oral ulceration
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Subtypes of Mouth ulcers:
Aphthous Ulcer (82 causes)
Medical Conditions associated with Mouth ulcers:
Mouth symptoms (6864 causes), Throat symptoms (3410 causes), Head symptoms (10192 causes), Face symptoms (8109 causes), Mucus membrane symptoms (832 causes), Respiratory symptoms (5166 causes), Breathing symptoms (3381 causes), Breath symptoms (3023 causes)
Symptoms related to Mouth ulcers:
Mouth rash (15 causes), Throat rash (10 causes), Tongue color changes, Skin pigmentation changes (72 causes), Viral infection, Oral candidiasis (30 causes), Herpes simplex, Aphthous ulcer (82 causes), Anemia (926 causes), Chronic infections, Dietary deficiency, Chickenpox, Measles, Erythema multiforme
Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:
These general medical articles may be of interest:
See full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
Our news pages contain the following medical news summaries about Mouth ulcers and many other medical conditions:
Medical research papers related to Mouth ulcers include:
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Copyright © 2011 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved. Last Update: 1 February, 2012 (0:23)
