The majority of mouth ulcers are painful and can adversely affect eating and drinking.As such,patients with mouth ulcers often present in community pharmacies.Aphthous stomatitis(oral ulceration),which represents a full-thickness breach in the epithelium lining the soft tissues of the mouth,affects a high proportion of the population and can be the result of a wide range of conditions1-2(see Box 1).Pharmacists can ask basic questions concerning the nature of the ulceration,which can help provide a good indication about the likely cause(see Box 2),as well as providing patients with symptomatic relief and immediate local treatment.However,a person suspected of having an oral squamous cell carcinoma(mouth cancer)must be instructed to urgently seek the opinion of a dental practitioner or their GP.This article will cover different types of oral ulceration,how pharmacists can differentiate between the variety of causes and,therefore,advise on the treatment options available.
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