Mouth Irritation-Take Action to Manage

There are many different types of mouth irritations.
Canker sores occur only inside the mouth, on the tongue and inside linings of the cheeks, throats and lips. They are not contagious. These sores are usually larger than fever blisters and do not heal quickly. This condition is not well understood. They do not appear to be caused by bacteria or viruses. Research suggests that they may grow from a fault in one’s body’s immune system or from nutritional deficiencies, emotional stress and mouth injury can trigger outbreaks. 
Fever Blisters, also called cold sores, are small sores that usually occur outside the mouth on the lip, chin or cheek. When blisters appear in side the mouth, they usually are found on the gums or the roof of the mouth. Unlike canker sores, the blisters are caused by a virus, herpes simplex. This virus is highly contagious unlike canker sores when the blisters are present. The blisters may disappear but the virus remains in the body. This explains why some people may have recurrent cold sores. Many things can trigger reoccurrence including, fever, stress, illness, injury and exposure to sunlight. There is no known cure for fever blisters. There are medications to help reduce the pain from the outbreak of any of these two. Ask your dentist, or e-mail us at dentallwellness@juno.com