Mouth Sores

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What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office

Your doctor will perform a physical examination, focusing on your mouth and tongue. Medical history questions may include the following:

• Are the sores on your lips, gums, tongue, lining of your cheeks, or elsewhere?
• Are the sores open ulcers?
• Are there large, white patches on the roof of the mouth or on your tongue?
• How long have you had the mouth sores? More than 2 weeks?
• Have you ever had sores of this type before?
• What medications do you take?
• Do you have other symptoms like fever, sore throat, or breath odor?

Treatment may depend on the underlying cause of the mouth sore.

A topical anesthetic (applied to a localized area of the skin) such as lidocaine or xylocaine may be used to relieve pain (but should be avoided in children). An antifungal medication may be prescribed for oral thrush (a yeast infection). An anti-viral medication may be prescribed for herpes lesions (although, some feel that this does not shorten the length of time that the lesions are present), and antibiotics may be prescribed for severe or persistent canker sores.