Mouth ulcers occur inside the mouth, from the inner parts of the lips to inside the cheeks, on the tongue, and even on the upper palate or roof of the mouth. You’ll notice they’re painful and tender to touch, but don’t worry, they’re not contagious. Common mouth ulcers need to run a course of healing that may take a week or two. If the mouth ulcer is more severe, you may consider visiting your dentist for an oral examination.
On the other hand, if a person develops a cluster of small blisters that turn into a larger sore in the lip area, this may be a cold sore caused by the herpes simplex virus. This second type of mouth ulcer is caused by a virus and is highly contagious. A cold sore may require a prescription antiviral medication from a doctor.
There are a few mouth ulcer home remedies that can be quite effective. One of the most common ways to treat mouth ulcers is to ice them. Wrap an ice cube in kitchen paper and hold it over the sore. Never place the ice directly onto the skin. This method brings only temporary relief, but it feels good because it tempers the burning pain.
Another remedy is to place a wet tea bag over the ulcerated area. Black tea contains tannin, which possesses powerful pain-relieving qualities. You can also make a homemade saline solution using warm water, salt and baking soda.
There are a few things that the NHS recommend avoiding when you have a mouth ulcer. We’ve listed some of them below:
If you suffer from recurring mouth ulcers, there are a few things you can try to minimise your chances of developing them:
If a mouth ulcer doesn’t heal on its own within a week or so, you can visit your local pharmacist. They’ll be well versed on how to soothe mouth ulcers and will be able to offer you treatment options to speed up the healing, reduce the pain or prevent an infection. They may offer you a mouthwash for ulcers, a painkilling gel or spray, lozenges or a saline mouthwash.
If you’ve tried over-the-counter and at-home remedies for how to soothe mouth ulcers, it may be time to make an appointment with your doctor. Always see your doctor if your mouth ulcer has lasted for longer than three weeks, keeps coming back, grows bigger, is at the back of your throat, bleeds or becomes more painful and red over time.
Usually, mouth ulcers are just a temporary nuisance, will heal in their own time and are nothing to be too concerned about!
ORAL HEALTH QUIZ
Take our Oral Health assessment to get the most from your oral care routine
ORAL HEALTH QUIZ
Take our Oral Health assessment to get the most from your oral care routine