Canker sore, which is also known as aphthous stomatitis, is a painful oral ulcer that is characterized by an open lesion on the mucous membrane with white, gray or yellow appearance with red circular or irregular borders. The exact cause of oral ulcers is unknown, though researchers suggest a variety of factors that may lead to the development of canker sore, the most common of which is physical trauma to the oral mucous membrane. Physical trauma includes accidental biting while the person munches, the use of braces that causes friction over the mucous membrane, and foods that are rough such as chips can that can cause cuts on the mucous membrane. Some people say that you can't get cold sores if you get canker sores but this is not 100% true. One thing that is true about cold sores is you can't visit your Livermore dentist if you have a cold sore.
Other causes include chemical irritants. Studies also say that canker sores are high with inadequate oral hygiene that hastens bacteria build up in the mouth. Stress and lower immune resistance are also implicated as a predisposing factor of canker sores. Oral ulcers have also been linked somehow with several diseases.
Behcet Disease
The immune system, the system that normally protects our body from infection, becomes overactive and produces an outburst of exaggerated inflammation which leads to inflammation of the blood vessels affected especially the smaller vessels or capillaries. This in turn may lead to ulceration in the affected parts including the mouth.
Celiac Disease and Crohn’s Disease
Both of these diseases are a type of an autoimmune disease, wherein the body’s immune system targets and destroys its own cells and organs leading to its destruction. These diseases commonly occur in the small intestine and large intestine respectively, however, because it is an autoimmune disorder, it is able to target and destroy cells in other parts of the digestive system including the oral mucous membrane.
