Individuals cannot determine for themselves if they have a traumatic mouth ulcer and need to seek prompt medical attention and an oral examination to make a diagnosis of traumatic mouth ulcers. There are many different types of mouth ulcers with similar clinical symptoms, and the rate of misdiagnosis is high when patients without medical training make their own diagnosis based on clinical symptoms alone.
For this reason, it is best for patients with traumatic mouth ulcers to seek prompt medical examination, which is both accurate and facilitates follow-up treatment.
Some patients who are not in a position to seek immediate medical attention may make a preliminary judgement based on their trauma history and oral environment, and then seek medical attention when available. Patients can explore with their tongues, or look into the mirror, to see if there are stumps of roots, crowns, sharp corners of teeth, bloody blisters or large burns or erosions in the mouth, and if so, and if the disease has been untreated for a long time, the possibility of traumatic oral ulcers.