Canker sores are small and thin lesions that appear in the mouth and make eating and talking difficult. Also called mouth ulcers, canker sores develop on soft tissues in the mouth or at the base of the gums. Canker sores do not develop on the lips and are not contagious. But canker sores are painful when they appear and take almost a week or two to go away, making simple activities hard for the person. If a canker sore develops that is not healing for a long time or is unusually big, then the dentist must be consulted for expert advice.

Symptoms

Identifying a canker sore
Most of the canker sores are round or oval-shaped and have a white or yellow center and a red border. These appear inside the mouth — on either side of the tongue, inside of the cheeks or lips, at the base of the gums, or on the soft palate. It sends a tingling or burning sensation one or two days before the whitish sore actually appears on the inner surface of the mouth. There are also a few other symptoms that can be observed such as:

• The swelling of the lymph nodes
• Stressful mental and physical condition
• Deficiency of adequate vitamins and minerals
• Consumption of extremely spicy food
• Biting of own tongue or cheek
• Canker sores may appear if a part of the tooth has become sharp and causes disruption

Types of canker sores
There are mainly three types of canker sores: minor, major, and herpetiform sores.

Minor canker sores
The minor canker sores are the most common kind of sores and their common features are as follows:

• They are usually small
• They have an oval shape with a red edge
• They heal in one to two weeks

Major canker sores
The major canker sores are rare and their common features are:

• They are usually larger and deeper than minor canker sores
• They are round with distinct borders and have irregular edges; they become very big gradually
• These can be extremely painful
• These might leave scarring as they require almost six weeks to heal.

Herpetiform canker sores
The herpetiform canker sores are uncommon and usually develop in the later stages of life. These canker sores have a few features such as:

• They are pinpoint size
• They initially appear in 10 to 100 small ulcers which may combine into one.
• These also have irregular edges
• They heal in two or more weeks and do not leave scars.

There are also a few remedies one can try at home:

Applying ice or milk of magnesia can relieve pain

Rinsing the mouth with warm water and baking soda

Honey is considered medicinal for canker sores

Thus, one can observe that canker sores are a common affair, but they cause problems in one’s daily life. However, they can be treated easily and you need not panic once you get them.