Prevention of mouth ulcers

Mouth ulcers are sores of oval or round shape which are clearly defined and tend to be rather painful. There are three main types of mouth ulcers and those are minor ulcers, major ulcers and herpetiform ulcers. Minor ulcers are the smallest, the most common and the easiest ones to cure. Major ulcers take a bit longer to heal and may sometimes involve scarring. Herpetiform ulcers are multiple sores, which form irregular shapes and, contrary to the popular belief, are not related to the herpes virus. Mouth ulcers are fairly common medical conditions and they can be passed from person to person very easily. They are more common in women than in men. Most people do not suffer from recurrent mouth ulcers, but they still may be present in some cases. The factors which cause these types of mouth ulcers are different from the factors which cause the ordinary mouth ulcers. Most mouth ulcers commonly heal on their own, but sometimes they may be associated with certain complications, and bacterial infections are among the most common complications of mouth ulcers. Infected mouth ulcers need to be treated with antibiotics.

There are certain measures which can be taken in order to prevent the mouth ulcers from occurring in the first place. Leading a healthy lifestyle, which involves a healthy and well balanced diet, efficient stress management and regular exercising, is of utmost importance. Softer toothbrush also needs to be used too. Proper dental hygiene is also very important in the prevention of mouth ulcers. Frequent visits to the dentist are definitely a must.

Most instances of mouth ulcers do not require any special treatment, only if they are mild or infrequent or if they do not interfere with the person’s daily activities, especially eating. There are certain types of food which need to be avoided because they often get associated with recurrent instances of mouth ulcers. Those foods include certain types of spices, citrus fruits, nuts, cheese, figs, potatoes, chocolate, coffee, cow’s milk, gluten, cinnamon, essential oils and various flavoring agents. If the ulcers cause significant discomfort and painful sensation, a person may purchase some prescription drugs which are designed to relieve the symptoms. There are also certain other types of medicaments which can be purchased over the counter in most well equipped pharmacies without the need for prescription. Antimicrobial mouthwashes and corticosteroids are the ones which are used most frequently.