Types of Mouth Sores

There are many types of mouth sores ranging from mild bumps, lesions or sores on any part of the mouth, both inside and out, to serious infections where the top layer of skin is eroded away by the sore or infection. These types of mouth sores are also known as canker sores or mouth ulcers.

The type of mouth sore varies in accordance to the cause. An adequate amount of saliva in the mouth is what protects it from infection so if for some reason the supply of saliva is reduced, this will lead to a high likelihood of mouth sores.

Regardless of the type of sore, if it lasts more than ten days it is always advisable to visit either a doctor or dentist to ensure that it is not cancerous.

In general, mouth sores can be caused by an injury, an irritation or an infection.

An injury can be something as simple as biting down on the inside of a cheek. Jagged teeth, braces or loose dentures can cause the same kind of damage. This type of injury is likely to lead to a blister, which can in turn lead to painful ulcers or sores.

Many different things can cause irritation to the mouth. Foods, drugs and chemicals can all potentially trigger mouth sores. Foods that are high in acidic content such as processed foods or ready-made dinners are irritants as are many of the common ingredients found in products such as toothpaste, gum, mouthwash and sweets.

Certain drugs can also result in mouth sores but typically they are those related to cancer treatment.

A different type of mouth sore occurs when the cause is an infection. Mouth sores are a type of virus. The herpes virus is probably the most well known and this can result in cold sores on the lip and also, sometime, on the palate of the mouth.

Herpes zoster is a more serious strain of the virus, also responsible for chicken pox and shingles. This type of infection will cause multiple sores to form on one side of the mouth. Both these types of viruses can stay in the body for years and then flare up when inflamed due to stress or other illness.

Infections can take many different forms and occur when a foreign organism is introduced into the mouth such as bacteria. Where a tooth is infected, these bacteria can travel to mouth sores, increasing the severity of the mouth sore.