MapMyLab

What does a Mouth Ulcer Mean? 

What To Do When One Shows Up

The common problems are soreness and redness inside the mouth, white plaques, and ulcers.

Stomatitis, Glossitis and Angular Cheilitis:

• If tongue is reddened and sore and /or if angles of mouth are white and sore it is likely vitamin B deficiency.
• Normally physician prescribes you vitamin B supplements.
• Drink cooked rice water from parboiled or other unpolished rice.

White Plaques:

• If white plaques are seen in mouth with no fever, it is likely fungal infection, which is common in infants.
• Clean mouth with gauze swab, apply gelatin white with cotton brush.
• If fever is also there, It may be diphtheria. Symptoms include patches over the throat, very high fever. Physician usually starts treatment with antibiotics.
• In adults oral candidiasis may be seen in malnourished, pregnancy, diabetes and nowadays increasingly in AIDS patients.

Many small vesicles in or near mouth

Herpes infection: Usually occurs along with other serious infection. Often painful and person may have difficulty in swallowing. Application of gelatin violet is enough.

Painful ulcer in mouth

• Look at ulcer – If small, one or two, centrally white, with surrounding redness and pain more while eating, mostly it is aphthous ulcer.
• This heals by itself, treatment is not essential.
• If needed chlorhexidine mouth wash 2-3 times a day for five days can be used.
• Physician usually prescribes you a vitamin B complex tablet.
• Avoid tobacco chewing/lime/betel nut/gutka.
• Salt absorbs redness and inflammation, mix 1 table spoon of salt in ¼ cup of water, pour it in your mouth, and make sure it is concentrated at ulcer site. Spit water out after 1 min.

Painless ulcer in mouth

This could be oral cancer. This is the commonest form of cancer in India. Consult the physician immediately. This cancer is curable if referred early. Finding this cancer early and referring it in time is a major goal of health system.

Pain and swelling inside the mouth and fever

With or without white plaques it could be diphtheria

.