About Canker Sores

What are canker sores?

Canker sores, also known as aphthous ulcers, are painful shallow sores located in the mouth. They are usually red and may have a white or yellow coating over them. Canker sores can appear on the inside of the cheeks, on the inside of the lips, at the base of the gums, on the soft palate, or under the tongue.

What causes canker sores?

The cause of canker sores is unknown. There are a variety of factors that can trigger a canker sore outbreak. Interestingly, these triggers are different for different people. What triggers a canker sore in one person can be completely different from what triggers one in another. Some of the associated factors are stress, trauma, allergies, nutritional imbalances, hormonal influences, genetic predisposition, immune deficiencies, and hematologic abnormalities.

Who gets canker sores?

Canker sores are one of the most common oral conditions. They affect nearly 60 million people in the United States. Anyone can get a canker sore but they are more common in women, teenagers, and those in their twenties. If your parents have canker sores you are more likely to suffer from them.

What are the different types of canker sores?

Canker sores have been broken down into 3 types: minor, major, and herpetiform.

Minor: These account for about 80% of canker sores. These are the sores that are commonly referred to as “cankers”. They are 3-10 mm in diameter and heal without scaring in 7 to 14 days.

Major: These account for about 10% of canker sores. This condition is also referred as Sutton’s disease. They are 10-30 mm in diameter. They generally take 2 to 6 weeks to heal and at times may last for several months. These can heal with scaring. Major aphthous ulcers often begin at the onset of puberty.

Herpetiform: These account for the remaining 10% of canker sores. These usually present as small pinhead ulcerations numbering from 10 to 150. These small ulcerations can coalesce into larger irregular ulcerations. These ulcerations last from 7 to 14 days. They are more common in women and are more commonly located in the posterior region of the mouth. They are commonly confused with the oral herpes virus lesions.

How do you diagnose canker sores?

Any mouth sore that does not heal in 1 to 2 weeks must be examined by a dental or medical professional. A biopsy may be required to help diagnose the cause of the mouth sore. Because the histopathologic features are nonspecific for cankers themselves, a biopsy is useful only in eliminating differential possibilities and is not beneficial in arriving at the definitive diagnosis.

When should I see my dentist or doctor about canker sores?