Why do teeth become discolored?
There are many reasons why teeth can go from white to not so bright white over time, and foods and drinks coffee, tea and red wine are some of the culprits of tooth staining. What do these beverages have in common? They can contain strong coloring pigments called pigments, which attach to the white part of the outside of the teeth (the enamel).
Smoking Two chemicals found in tobacco form stubborn stains: tar and nicotine. Tar is naturally black; nicotine itself is colorless, but when mixed with oxygen it turns into a yellowish, surface-staining substance.
Why do ulcers grow everywhere in my mouth?
Recurrent aphthous ulcers can occur on all oral mucosa, such as the inner lips, cheeks, tongue, alveolar mucosa, soft palate, floor of the mouth, and any other area, but the palate and gums are rarely involved due to their epithelial keratinization characteristics.
What causes recurrent aphthous ulcers? Is it because of vitamin and trace element deficiency?
Due to traditional beliefs, many patients believe that “mouth sores” are caused by a deficiency of certain elements in the body, such as zinc or iron, etc. Many patients have taken multivitamins or used zinc and iron supplements before coming to the hospital. However, from a medical point of view, recurrent aphthous ulcer is a disease caused by a combination of multiple factors that may be related to the following.
1. immune disorders.
2, genetic factors: if both parents have mouth ulcers, the probability of children having the disease is 50% to 90%; one of the two parents sometimes, the probability of children having the disease is 50% to 60%.
3, mental tension, overwork or increased psychological stress.
4, menstrual cycle; some female patients pre-menstrual mouth ulcers aggravated, pregnancy is mouth ulcers remission or stop attack, which may be related to changes in the body hormone level.
5, nutritional deficiencies: lack of trace elements or vitamins, such as lack of iron, zinc, vitamin B, folic acid, etc. can cause mouth ulcers.
6, allergic factors: such as eating seafood or using certain drugs, toothpaste, etc. can trigger mouth ulcers.
7, combined with digestive system diseases and so on. It can be seen that nutritional deficiency is only one of the many possible causes of aphthous ulcers, and simple supplementation of micronutrients or vitamins in the vast majority of cases does not play a good therapeutic role.
Are mouth ulcers a reaction to other systemic diseases in the mouth?
Many systemic diseases such as leukoaraiosis, Crohn’s disease, lipoprotein-like deposits, anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, colitis, etc. can develop oral ulcers at different stages of disease development. Therefore, if you have recurrent oral ulcers accompanied by abdominal pain, fever, eye discomfort, rash or ulcers elsewhere in the body, we recommend promptly visiting the oral mucosal unit or other related departments and providing relevant information to your doctor.
How do doctors diagnose recurrent aphthous ulcers clinically? Do I need to do laboratory tests?
The diagnosis is usually made based on the history of recurrent aphthous ulcers and the typical clinical presentation of the ulcer. There are no specific laboratory diagnostic indicators for recurrent aphthous ulcers, so in most cases, no laboratory tests are required, except for biopsies or certain ancillary tests such as hematology, immunology, microbiology, imaging, etc., which may be required if other systemic diseases are excluded or if ulcers of other nature are suspected.
Are recurrent aphthous ulcers contagious and cancerous?
Unlike infectious diseases such as herpetic gingivostomatitis, recurrent aphthous ulcers are not contagious from contact with such patients, even during an ulcer episode. Diagnosed recurrent aphthous ulcers (i.e., recurrent, short-term healing, indolent mouth ulcers) are generally not cancerous. However, for ulcers caused by trauma or a single long-term non-healing ulcer (more than 2 weeks or even several months), we recommend that you be vigilant and seek early medical attention. In particular, if the persistent oral ulcers occur on the ventral part of the tongue, the inner corner of the mouth, or the soft palate, the possibility of oral squamous cell carcinoma should be excluded. In addition, some deep and large oral ulcers that do not heal may be the oral manifestation of diseases such as oral tuberculosis, lymphoma and necrotizing salivary gland hyperplasia. During your visit, your doctor will recommend appropriate tests based on your medical history and the clinical manifestations of the ulcer for confirming and differential diagnosis of the disease.
What kind of mouth ulcers need to see a doctor?
It is recommended to see a doctor when: frequent mouth ulcers that seriously affect your quality of life; a single ulcer that does not heal for a long time (2 weeks or more, or even months); a mouth ulcer accompanied by chronic fatigue, abdominal pain, fever, eye discomfort, rash or ulcers on other parts of the body.
How to treat recurrent aphthous ulcers? Is it effective to contain white wine, vitamin C, and smear propolis and honey?
Due to the complexity of the cause of the disease, there is no specific cure so far. The current treatment is based on relieving symptoms and prolonging the interval between attacks. The less severe patients can be treated with topical drugs, while the more severe patients can be treated with topical drugs or laser and other physical therapy with oral drugs under the guidance of a doctor. At the same time, the author recommends using regular topical drugs approved by the state as much as possible, but do not use oral liquor, local application of vitamin C or honey and other treatment methods, we have seen many times in the clinical work of patients using the above methods, not only the ulcer did not improve, but caused more serious diseases such as chemical burns of the oral mucosa.
What can I do to prevent recurrent aphthous ulcers?
Regarding the prevention of oral ulcers, the American Academy of Oral Mucosal Diseases recommends that the most important thing is to keep a personal record of ulcer attacks and try to find habits, diet, suspected allergens, etc. associated with the ulcer attacks so that they can be corrected and recurrence can be prevented. In addition we recommend that the following should be done as much as possible.
1. regular work and rest schedule.
2. a balanced diet (note that it is not always emphasized to eat only vegetables and fruits) and avoid spicy and irritating foods.
3, emotional regulation, relaxation. Sometimes the greater the mental stress, the worse the mood, the more likely the ulcer will attack.
4, the ulcers that do not heal should be promptly to the regular hospital for early consultation.