This article provides some information about sores in the mouth. It also includes the causes and treatment for the same.
One of the most annoying and possibly painful conditions is getting sores in the mouth. This is a condition wherein there are small painful sores, which may be blisters or blisters that have burst to form ulcers, that are seen in the corner of the mouth. This is a delicate and vulnerable area of the lips, which is stressed every time one talks, eats, or moves their lips for any activity.
Causes and Treatment
Angular Stomatitis
The inflammation of the corners of the mouth is known as angular stomatitis or angular cheilitis. This leads to mouth sores in the corner of mouth. There can be many causes for this condition. These include:
Ill-fitting dentures: This is one of the most common cause of this condition. When a person wears dentures which exceeds the normal height of the person’s mouth which on closing, may lead to the mouth remaining slightly open even after occlusion, that is, meeting of teeth. This leads to drooling of saliva from the corners of the mouth. If any saliva remains lodged here, then, especially when the person sleeps at night, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and could lead to sore mouth and tongue, besides sores in corner of the mouth. The angular cheilitis treatment for this condition will entail getting the dentures resized and adjusted to the actual closing limit of the mouth, so that there is complete closure of the lips.
Dental problems: In some cases, a person may have dental problems which may be hindering complete closure of the lips. Here, either the person has very protrusive upper front teeth or the lips are incompetent in nature. Either way, there is an incomplete closure of the lips, which leads to mouth breathing and other related problems. In cases where the cause of sores in corner of mouth is related to misalignment of the teeth, one should opt for orthodontic treatment and get the condition treated accordingly.
Deficiency diseases: There have been many cases where it was observed that this condition was due to nutritional deficiencies, especially deficiency of vitamins and iron. The people affected by this disease would need to take nutritional supplements.
Canker Sores
One of the other causes is canker sores. Canker sores are small mouth sores that can occur anywhere on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, that is, right from the inner cheek to the corner of the mouth. Also known as aphthous ulcers, it is not known as to what exactly causes these in the corner of the mouth. They appear as small yellowish flat ulcers that may or may not have a red border. Furthermore, they usually disappear on their own and rarely is there a need for an active treatment.
Other Oral Infections
There are a few more conditions that may lead to this condition. These include herpes on lips or oral herpes. This leads to cold sores that could appear anywhere in the mouth. These usually appear in cycles and although there is no definitive and final herpes cure, there are certain cold sore remedies that may be of help. Another cause is dry lips. Excessively dry chapped lips could lead to this problem, in which case the person may need to use petroleum jelly to soothe the dry lips.
This was all about the various causes and treatment alternatives for this condition. This is a disturbing condition which is not only discomforting but also very visible. Hence, one should consult the concerned doctor so as to identify the cause and treat it at the earliest, as it may lead to irreversible scarring of the corner of mouth.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.