How does oral herpes sore look?

Question

Hi doctor,

Last week, I had a sore on the outside of my lower gum. My girlfriend, who is a dental assistant, told me that it is just a canker sore and it will go away. Now, I have one on the inside of the upper gum towards the roof of my mouth. Is the second one also a canker sore or is this something I obtained sexually from someone who had genital herpes? Is this an area of concern that I have an infection? Will it go away like the first one? Previously, I had maybe once or twice a year. I am currently on Adderall XR and Singulair.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

These are called aphthous ulcers and are commonly known as canker sores (attachment removed to protect patient identity). The reason why they occur is unknown. It could be an allergy to vitamin B12 deficiency or stress ulcers. They occur as often as every two to three months and can be quite painful, affecting eating and speech as well. They should heal within three to six days. If not, then another diagnosis must be considered by an oral diagnostician. There is no definitive treatment.

However, the discomfort can be minimized and healing can be faster by using topical anesthetic and antimicrobial gel before eating such as Mucopain gel (Benzocaine) and Metrogel (Metronidazole). If your ulcers are bigger than 4 mm to 5 mm or have associated fevers that do not heal in two weeks or are getting bigger, then kindly contact your local dentist. Herpetic lesions have a different presentation and history. But if you have concerns, then you can go for an STD-sexually transmitted disease panel of investigations.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.