What causes mouth ulcers?

A mouth ulcer is an exposed nerve.  The linings of our mouths are actually very sensitive, when a break appears in the lining it exposes the nerves that lie beneath it.  When we touch these ulcers with a toothbrush, food or drink it can hurt a lot.  So what causes them?  Anything that breaks the surface, usually tooth brushes, sharp food, biting yourself accidentally or hot food.  They usually last a week or so but will keep reappearing if what ever causes it is consistently damaging it like a sharp tooth for example.  Aphthous ulcers are usually caused by stress and don’t seem to go down until the stress has stopped, these can last a couple of weeks.  Some people get ulcers a lot more commonly than other people this may be because they are deficient in vitamin B12 or Folate.

To avoid mouth ulcers make sure you brush your teeth regularly but not too hard.  Make sure you keep to a healthy diet and that you avoid food and drink that is too hot as you put it in your mouth.

So how do I get rid of an ulcer if I have one right now?  Gargling and swallowing paracetemol relieves the pain and rinsing your mouth out with iced water before a meal relieves the pain when eating.  The best treatments can be purchased from your local chemists such as Bonjela and other antiseptic gels.

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