Mouth Sore Treatments in Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Most mouth sores are not extremely harmful, it’s important to understand the difference between different mouth sores. There are many kinds of mouth sores, which we have discussed below for your further assessment.
Canker Sores
Canker sores are small lacerations developed in the inside of your mouth. Canker sores are not contagious, but they can be very painful and annoying. They are usually characterized by a round sore with a white or yellow center. Although canker sores usually heal within weeks, you should contact Dr. Lapco if you have an unusually large canker sore, recurring and persistent sores, severe pain or a high fever.
Cold Sores
Unlike canker sores, cold sores, also known as fever blisters, develop on the lips or in the mouth area and are contagious. Cold sores are blisters filled with fluid caused by the herpes simplex virus, triggered by fever, sunburns, hormonal changes or emotional upset. Although cold sores naturally heal in 2-4 weeks, Dr. Lapco can alleviate pain with prescription ointments. It’s also very important to practice good hygiene and wash your hands so the infection doesn’t spread to other people or other areas of your face.
Oral Candidiasis
Also known as oral thrush, oral candidiasis is caused when the fungus, Candida albicans, concentrates and increases on the lining of the mouth. Symptoms of oral thrush include painful white irritation inside your mouth, difficulty swallowing or eating, cotton-mouth and loss of taste. If you suspect you have oral thrush, Dr. Lapco can stop the spread of fungus with antifungal medication in the form of liquid, tablets or lozenges.
Leukoplakia & Erythroplakia
Leukoplakia is a thick, white patch that develops inside the mouth, commonly around the tongue, cheeks and gums. These mouth sores can’t be scraped off and are generally found in tobacco users. Although leukoplakia isn’t necessarily dangerous, it can be very serious in some cases showing early signs of oral cancer.
Erythroplakia is similar, but it’s a red lesion that can’t be scraped off. It also has a higher risk of becoming cancerous than leukoplakia. To treat both, patches have to be removed, to destroy any cancer cells that are present. If you have trouble with these lesions, it’s important to have regular checkups with Dr. Lapco to ensure that any recurrences can be removed, since they are the most common precancerous cells found in the mouth.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancers have similar characteristics as canker sores, but they are painless. These sores can form anywhere in the mouth area, even including salivary glands and the uvula. Since the sores are painless, oral cancer can go undetected in the early stages. However, Dr. Lapco can notice these changes early, so it’s important to get regular examinations if you have recurring lesions in the mouth.
If you have a persistent or recurring mouth sores, contact Dr. Lapco’s office to set up an appointment. It’s important to catch the symptoms of oral cancer early for treatment to avoid further complications in the future. Dr. Lapco’s Pompano Beach office is located in Broward County just 10 miles from Coral Springs and 12 miles from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.