Understanding Stomatitis: What You Need to Know

What is Stomatitis?

If you’ve ever dealt with the pain of a canker sore or cold sore inside your mouth, then chances are you’ve experienced stomatitis. Stomatitis is typically considered to be a localized soreness within the mouth, and it can be found anywhere from the gums to the lips to the sides of the cheeks. While not considered life-threatening, Stomatitis can be painful and it can affect your ability to eat, sleep, and even talk in certain cases.

Types and Symptoms

While Stomatitis is considered a general term, there are primarily two types which affect most people. These are canker sores and cold sores.

·         Canker Sores - Canker sores are small ulcer-like lesions that can develop on the inside of your mouth. They don’t typically form on your lips, and you can’t pass them on to someone else. The ultimate cause of canker sores isn’t certain, but there are a number of reasons one might appear. If you are under a lot of stress or wear braces, you may be at higher risk. Also, some highly acidic fruits such as pineapple, lemons, and tomatoes can contribute to the formation of this type of stomatitis.

Less common are complex canker sores that tend to appear repeatedly and are usually larger and more painful than regular canker sores. They can stick around for up to a month and will sometimes leave a scar. This form is commonly due to a more serious condition such as a vitamin deficiency or from ailments such as Crohn's disease or low levels of immunity.

·         Cold Sores - Unlike canker sores, the cause of a cold sore is definitively known. These fluid-filled blisters are a symptom of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV1). They are extremely contagious and can be passed from person to person through close contact. Cold sores generally last 2-4 weeks and should heal completely without leaving a scar. There is no cure for HSV1 once you contract it, but medications are available that can help to reduce the duration and severity of the outbreaks.

General mouth soreness can also be categorized as stomatitis. This type of soreness can result from a number of circumstances including, but not limited to, burning the inside of your mouth with hot liquid or food, biting your tongue, cheek or lip, and dental issues such as gingivitis.

Treatment

How to best treat Stomatitis in your mouth will ultimately depend on which type you have. If you are suffering from canker sores, patience and time is typically the best remedy. These sores, while uncomfortable, will not usually impede every day eating and drinking and should clear up in one to two weeks’ time. If you find you are in need of relief from the pain of a canker sore, placing a dab of Benzocaine on the affected area can help. Benzocaine, or Ambesol as it is commonly called, is a numbing gel that can be found at your local pharmacy.

If you’re dealing with the discomfort of a cold sore, your treatment will be a bit different. Because cold sores appear due to a viral infection, using an anti-viral medication is typically what’s prescribed to speed up the recovery process. You can get a prescription from your doctor or use an over-the-counter product such as Abreva to shorten the overall healing time.

Stomatitis in Children

While Stomatitis can be a mild irritant in adults, it can sometimes become much more severe in children. When a child contracts the HSV1 virus for the first time, the outbreak can occur throughout the mouth, not just on the lips. The sores can be extremely painful and often times children will stop eating and drinking because of the discomfort. Because of this, children suffering from viral stomatitis should be closely monitored and drink plenty of fluids to ensure they don’t become dehydrated.

Symptoms typically last from a week to ten days and the child will then have the HSV1 virus for life. Although the virus commonly remains inactive after the initial outbreak, it can reappear later in life as the common cold sore. No subsequent occurrence will be as severe as the initial one.

Preventing Stomatitis

There is no real cure for stomatitis, but there are some things you can do to help prevent it from recurring as often. Making sure you are consuming enough B vitamins can go a long way toward preventing future breakouts related to canker sores. You should also monitor your intake of acidic and spicy foods as these can exacerbate and increase the likelihood of developing mouth sores. Finally, remember that proper oral hygiene will always go a long way towards ensuring your mouth remains healthy and pain-free.

If you want to know more about Stomatitis you can always talk with your local dentistry, Your Community Dental at 910-342-9210.

-Julie Mastbrook

Works Cited

Case-Lo, Christine. “Stomatitis: Definition and Patient Education.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 Nov. 2016, www.healthline.com/health/stomatitis.

Hansen , Bjarne Lühr, and Philipp Skafte-Holm . “Stomatitis.” Stomatitis, www.illchild.com/disease/stomatitis.

“Herpetic Stomatitis.” Nicklaus Children's Hospital, www.nicklauschildrens.org/skin-and-rashes/herpetic-stomatitis.