Aphthous Ulcer

- Aphthous Ulcers or Oral Ulcers Treatment

- What are Aphthous ulcers?

These are also known by the term ‘aphthous stomatitis’ or ‘canker sore’. Oral ulcers or Aphthous ulcers are tiny ulcers that take place in the oral cavity. Women are more likely to have recurrent Aphthous ulcers as compared to men. There are two variants of aphthous ulcers:

Simple Aphthous ulcers. These type of ulcers are most likely to affect younger age group and they may appear 3-4 times in a year.

In case of very painful ulcers, keep away from the factors causing or aggravating the pain.

Complex Aphthous ulcers. These are less common and occur more often in people who have previously had them.

- How are Aphthous ulcers caused?

The actual cause of most Aphthous ulcers is not known (idiopathic). Stress or tissue injury, certain foods and drugs like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or a sharp tooth surface, vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, or iron deficiency; and gastro-intestinal tract disease, any of these could be the factor responsible to cause ulcers in the mouth.

- Clinical Presentation:

A painful sore or sores inside your mouth – inside the cheeks, on the tongue, soft palate (the back portion of the roof of your mouth)
A burning or tingling sensation prior to the appearance of the sores
These sores inside your oral cavity are white, or gray, round, having a red border.. In severe cases, physical weakness, fever may be present and the lymph nodes may swell up.

- How to manage a case of Aphthous ulcers?

Generally the sores may heal up within a period of about 14 days, without a treatment.

The type of treatment will depend upon the severity of the ulcer.

In case of large, persistently painful sores, your consulting physician may ask you to use antimicrobial mouth rinse, to relieve the irritation & pain he/ she may prescribe a corticosteroid ointment. In case of mildly painful ulcers,

Treatment may not be necessary
Local analgesics may be used
Short course of topical corticosteroids may prove to be helpful

- Chlorhexidine mouthwash can also be usedIn case of recurrent oral ulcers:

Local trauma- use a softer toothbrush; avoid eating sharp or hard foods
Foods- avoid certain foods if you know they are triggering ulcer formation
Stress- some people may find relaxation techniques or exercise helpful

- How to prevent the Aphthous ulcers?

Though no cure is available for oral ulcers and they generally occur recurrently. However, the following things may be practised if you wish to reduce their frequency:

Avoiding foods that irritate your mouth– including acidic or spicy foods
Avoiding irritation from gum chewing
Brushing with a soft-bristled brush after meals and flossing daily

- How much would be the cost of treatment for Aphthous ulcers?

The treatment cost will vary depending on the type of treatment which is followed. In general, a consultation for Oral ulcers or Apthous stomatitis with Dr. Rinky Kapoor would cost about INR 1000/-.

For more information on Dr. Rinky Kapoor’s work, click on: theestheticclinic.com/dr-rinky-kapoor.html

The Esthetic Clinic is a world class center dedicated to skin care and plastic surgery of the entire body – and specializes in housing an experienced Dermatologist, Dr. Rinky Kapoor, who can provide world class Skin Treatments, for skin diseases and make your skin look beautiful. So if you want to go ahead and get your hair, skin, and nails treated, The Esthetic Clinic is the best choice for you.