Cankers are painful sores inside the mouth. They are shallow ulcers that develop on the soft tissues of the mouth or at the base of the gums. They often appear gray, white, or yellow in color, with a red border, and measure from 3 to 10 millimeters in diameter. Canker sores affect about 20% of the population. Susceptibility to canker sores may be inherited. It is thought that certain types of bacteria and/or viruses are involved with the occurrence of the painful mouth sores. Canker sores are not contagious. Women get them more often than men.
It is uncertain what causes canker sores, but it is thought that there are a few probable factors.
1. Deficiency of Vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, calcium, or iron.
2. People with poor immune systems are more likely to get canker sores.
3. Stress or injury may cause canker sores. This can come from hard brushing, dental braces, harsh mouthwashes, toothpastes that contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
4. Poor-fitting partial or complete dentures may cause canker sores in the part of the mouth where the denture may rub on the tissue. A canker sore is often one of the first indications of the need for a denture reline or adjustment by your dentist.
Denture wearers in Richmond Beach, Bellevue, and other Washington communities in the Seattle area who have dentures which do not fit properly may need to have their dentures professionally relined. Relining will help the dentures conform to the patient’s oral anatomy and prevent wear. Price is determined by the lab fees required to reline the appliance.
A denture adjustment is performed in the dental office, typically free of charge. The denture is ground down in areas that may be rubbing too hard against the patient’s gum tissues.
Contact Dr. Jorge of the Dental & Denture Clinic if your canker sores are larger than usual, have lasted more than three weeks, spread, cause difficulty drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated, cause severe pain even after taking over-the-counter pain medication, or are accompanied by fever. Besides identifying and correcting the likely cause of canker sores, such as ill-fitting dentures, Dr. Jorge may prescribe an oral medication which can relieve the pain and inflammation.
