What do canker sores look like?

Has someone asked you what do canker sores look like? Canker sores differ from other mouth ulcers by its location, appearance and these being recurrent. Although there is no need for any medical testing, a dentist often determines a canker sore through visual inspection, history and by the symptoms the patient have experienced.

What do canker sores look like and where do they form?

Canker sores are typically formed only on loose tissues of the mouth wherein the skin is not strongly bound to the underlying bone. These areas of the mouth are called nonkeratinized tissues. These tissues are the skins of the inner lips and cheeks, floor of the mouth, the tongues tip or underside, soft palate and the tonsillar areas. But it is still possible that canker sores form on the keratinized areas such as gum tissues.

At the early stage, a canker sore is characterized by a raised erythematous (reddened) area formed on the nonkeratinized tissues of the mouth. They are often accompanied with tingling or burning sensation. Eventually, the reddened area will become an ulcer with a loosely white and grayish membrane covering the center. A typical canker sore has a round or oval shape and not more than one-fourth inch in diameter. It also has regular and not jagged edges with a surrounding reddish halo. But the tissues adjacent to canker sore remain healthy. Canker sores are very painful mouth ulcers thus, a person with canker sore often experience eating inference and tend to limit his oral movement.

A typical canker sore heals within four to fourteen days and doesnt leave any scar in the mouth. Thus, if it doesnt heal within two weeks, you might need to see your dentist for some advice and further treatment. Further, it is possible that a person can have multiple canker sores at a time – up to six canker sores widely distributed in the persons mouth. If two canker sores have a very little space in between, the tendency is they will combine and form a single and irregular-shaped mouth ulcer.

These canker sores are most common in people between ten to forty years of age. Some studies have suggested that it is more rampant in women than in men, but not all studies have confirmed this. Likewise, there is still no evidence that this type of mouth ulcer is contagious.

What do canker sores look like and what causes them?

The real cause of canker sore is still unknown. However, some studies associate this mouth ulcer with foods such as chocolates, figs, nuts, cheese, orange and citrus fruits, among others. It is also associated with stress and vitamin deficiency. Even toothpaste with sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS ingredient can cause canker sores.

Moreover, canker sores are often caused by injuries and trauma caused by accidental biting of the inside of our mouth, by the hard foods we eat that can cause damage and by putting too much pressure when brushing our teeth that causes harm to the gums. Now you know how to answer the question of what do canker sores look like!

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