Despite being painful and uncomfortable, mouth ulcers are pretty common and should typically clear on their own within a couple of weeks. While mouth ulcers are rarely a sign of illness, it may be worthwhile arranging a checkup at ENT Sheffield if you persistently experience them or they seem to last longer than usual.
Ways to treat mouth ulcers at home
Mouth and tongue ulcers generally need time to heal. While they can be irritating, unfortunately, there is no quick fix. You should avoid doing things that could irritate your mouth ulcers to help reduce pain, speed up healing and reduce the odds of ulcers returning to the same place in the future.
When suffering from mouth ulcers, you should avoid:
- Eating excessively spicy, acidic, or salty foods
- Eating crunchy or âroughâ foods like crisps or toast
- Consuming acidic drinks, such as fruit juice
- Drinking hot beverages like tea or coffee
- Using chewing gum
- Using toothpaste that contains sodium lauryl sulphate
To help speed up the healing process, you should try to:
- Use a toothbrush with soft bristles
- Drink cold drinks through a straw
- Eat soft foods and try to maintain a healthy, balanced diet
- Arrange for a checkup to ensure there are no serious issues
Iâve got several mouth ulcers: what does this mean for my health?
If you have more than one mouth ulcer at any time, this could be a symptom of another illness. Mouth ulcers are a common complaint among sufferers of Crohnâs disease, oral lichen planus, hand, foot and mouth disease, and immune conditions such as HIV and lupus.
If mouth ulcers are recurring, it may be worth getting tested for one or more of these conditions. However, most mouth ulcers result from something as accidentally biting the tongue or inside of the cheek.
Other common causes of mouth ulcers include:
- Food allergies/intolerances
- Damaged gums due to an unsuitable toothbrush
- Feeling stressed or run down
- Badly fitting braces
- A sharp or chipped tooth
- Hormonal changes
- Iron or vitamin B12 deficiencies
- Quitting smoking
Find out more about mouth ulcers today
If you are suffering from mouth ulcers and would like help and advice on how to treat them, including pointers on the best over-the-counter remedies, why not book a consultation with ENT Sheffield today?Â
Mr. Olarinde is available to provide you with peace of mind and information on how to treat mouth and tongue ulcers, along with pointers on what you can do to prevent them in the future.
Mr. Olarinde (ENT Sheffield) runs a flexible private clinic that caters to your schedule. We are also a health provider for a range of private insurers to ensure fees wonât be through the roof. So book your consultation today.