If your eyes are the windows to your soul, then your mouth is the HD snapshot of your overall health.
Want to know what your chops are telling you? Open wide and say, “Aha!” Dirna Grobbelaar, oral hygiene advisor to IVO health, helps you understand the sores that plague your mouth.
Aphthous Ulcer
Starts as a red bump that develops into an ulcer, with a white centre and red border. Often starts in adolescence and can recur regularly, particularly when you’re run-down or stressed.
Should you worry?
NO. With Aloclair gel, these usually clear up in a couple of days.
Lichen Planus
Blue-white spots on the side of your tongue, insides of your cheeks or gums.
Should you worry?
NO, not initially. Monitor them and if the lesions change appearance or worsen, consult your dentist.
Herpes aka cold sores aka fever blisters
Blisters or a rash on your gums, lips, mouth or throat.
Should you worry?
NO. These usually clear up in a week or two. Use medication for pain or an iced facecloth for relief.
Leukoplakia
White patches on your tongue, mouth or insides of cheeks caused by long-term irritation. Can be scraped off.
Should you worry?
YES. But only if the sores/lesions persist for longer than two weeks, in which case see your dentist, as these occasionally develop into oral cancer.
Candidiasis
White painless spots in your mouth caused by a yeast infection.
Should you worry?
NO. This is easily treatable. Eat yoghurt with live cultures or take a probiotic. Brush and rinse with a diluted three percent hydrogen peroxide solution. Eat well, get plenty of sleep and boost your immune system with a multivitamin
Looking for more oral health tips? Here’s what the state of your mouth really reveals about your health.
