Mouth Ulcers in Children: Causes, Symptoms & Pictures

Mouth ulcers or sores, also known as canker sores or aphthous stomatitis, can cause a lot of pain and discomfort in children and adults alike. These ulcers can appear on the inner lining of the mouth, particularly on the tongue or gums. Children often experience white sores with red borders, which are the most common type. It’s important to note that mouth ulcers and mouth sores refer to the same condition, so don’t be confused.

Is Mouth Ulcers Contagious?

No! Mouth ulcers, also known as aphthous stomatitis or canker sores, are not contagious. Many people often confuse them with fever blisters, which are caused by the herpes simplex virus and are highly contagious. Fever blisters can appear on the lips, around the mouth, or even on any area of the face.

Picture showing cold sore

Cold sores, also known as mouth ulcers or canker sores, can be contracted through close body contacts, easily via kissing. I don’t want to digress, this shall be a topic of another day, let’s move back to our initial topic of mouth diseases.

Mouth ulcers in children

When you notice that your child has canker sores or mouth ulcers, you don’t need to panic. There are lots of home remedies you can use to get rid of them. Besides, canker sores are not a sign of anything serious, but they can be very uncomfortable to live with. Your child might have just one sore or more at the same time. At times, he or she might refuse eating, drinking, or brushing until the sores are healed. There are no quick fixes for healing canker sores; they will clear out on their own within a few days.

In this article, we are going to look at some essential things to know about mouth ulcers, also known as canker sores, in children. This information can help you keep watch on the symptoms and pain that can be caused by mouth ulcers, including leukoplakia.

• Symptoms,

• Causes and

• Preventional Procedures

Symptoms of mouth ulcers

• Appearance of round lesions that have red edges and are white in the middle. (1) The middle must not be white, it can be yellow or gray.

• Painful sores which may be one or more, appears on the inside lining of the mouth, on the roof of the mouth, on the tongue or gum.

• Pains and discomfort, especially when your child eats salty or spicy foods, can be symptoms of mouth sores, also known as canker sores or mouth ulcers.

• In severe cases, your child will experience symptoms such as fever and swollen glands, as well as mouth sores, canker sores, and mouth ulcers.

Note : Not all sores are mouth ulcer, if your child has sores outside his or her mouth, sores that looks like red blisters full of fluid. Then it’s likely to be cold sores, usually begins with a tingling, itching or burning sensation. (2 ) You can take your child to a healthcare center for proper diagnosis, because this two sores has certain similarities.

Causes Of Mouth Ulcers

1. Acidic Foods and Drinks : Certain foods such as oranges, kiwi, lemons, pineapples, strawberries and tomatoes are acidic. The acids in this foods can trigger mouth ulcers, don’t give your child too much citrus fruits and other foods that are high in acidity.

2. Tissue Damage : Damage to the tissue in the mouth lining is common. Rough play and certain activities kids do can lead to injuries to the mouth tissues, mouth ulcers can easily form from there. Activities such as vigorous brushing, biting inside of the mouth, rubbing from braces, injury to the mouth can cause mouth ulcers to form.

3. Infection : Bacteria and viral infections can cause mouth ulcers. Other disease like foot and mouth disease, coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease can also lead to mouth ulcers. Mouth ulcers heals naturally lasting only between 1 – 2 weeks. But if the ulcers persist and couldn’t go away, then it might be a sign of a serious health problem.

4. Low Vitamin Levels : this is the most common cause of mouth ulcers in children, when you don’t your child enough vitamins and minerals. (3 ) Deficiency in vitamins such as B-12, iron, folate or zinc easily causes mouth ulcers.

5. Toothpaste or Oral Rinses: Using toothpastes or oral rinses that contain sodium lauryl sulfate for your child, can contribute to constant recurrence of mouth ulcers.

Prevention For Mouth Ulcer 

An effective way to speeding up the healing process of canker sores in children is avoiding triggers or worsen the symptoms. It can also help to reduce recurrence and pain. Here are possible things that can prevent canker sores in children.

• Always use a soft-bristled toothbrush for your child to prevent mouth sores, canker sores, and mouth ulcers. Remember to brush gently to avoid injuries.

• Get special cups that will be suitable for your child, if possible drinking through a straw is also fine for children with mouth sores or canker sores.

• Give your child healthy balanced diets, as deficiency in vitamins can be a common cause of canker sores.

• Don’t give your child very hot or acidic drinks and foods to avoid canker sores.

• Toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate can cause mouth ulcers, also known as canker sores.

• Avoid hard foods, softer foods are better.

Finally, there are many available treatments and remedies for mouth ulcers. Stay tuned, in my next post I will give you a list of this effective remedies. Make sure that your child keeps up with her fluids, if the ulcers gets severe after much treatments, you should seek for medical attention. It’s also important that you seek for medical advice and check-up if the mouth ulcers re-occurs more frequently.

Kindly share this post with your friends who may have experience with canker sores. You can also share your thoughts and experience with us by using the comments section below. Have a nice day.