The cause of mouth ulcer

The exact cause of mouth ulcers is still not thoroughly understood. Mouth ulcers are most common among people between the ages of 10 to 40 years. They often appear when the body’s immune system is weak or compromised, with mouth injury or by stress. There are a lot of factors that can trigger or cause a mouth ulcer to develop. Other possible causes are an infection with a virus or bacteria, dental problems and eating certain food. The appearance of mouth ulcers can mean that your immune system is low or are a sign of an impending disease. For now mouth ulcer treatment is based on relieving the pain and boosting the healing process.

Below you can find a list of factors that can cause or trigger mouth ulcers.

Causes of mouth ulcer

Common cause

The most common causes of mouth ulcer is a weak or compromised immune system, mouth injury and stress.

Variety of factors

Although the exact cause of mouth ulcers is unclear, there are a variety of factors that can cause or trigger mouth ulcers:

Biting the inside of your cheek, lip or tongue
Sharp or broken tooth
Poorly fitted dentures
Using a toothbrush that is too hard
Toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)
Hypersensitivity to certain foods
Inherited
Vitamin deficiency, especially B-complex
Low immunity
Bacterial or viral infection
Hormonal changes
Medicines
Anxiety
Stress
Poor oral hygiene
Spicy food
Alcohol
Some medicines
Smoking
Allergy

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms

The ulcers begin as small oval or round red swellings on the skin in one of the locations described above. At this stage people will often feel a burning or tingling sensation. After one day the red swelling bursts open. The ruptured sores are covered by a thin white or yellow membrane and edged by a red inflamed border. Generally, the sores heal within two weeks without scarring.

Mouth ulcers are usually found on the movable parts of the mouth, such as the tongue or the inside lining of the lips and cheeks, and at the base of the gums.