Canker sores

What are canker sores?
Canker sores are a type of mouth ulcer. Some of the medical terms used to refer to canker sores are "recurrent minor aphthous ulcers" and "recurrent minor aphthous stomatitis" (thus differentiating canker sores from other types of aphthous ulcers or aphthous stomatitis). Canker sores are the most commonly occurring type of mouth ulcer.

What causes canker sores?
The precise mechanism by which canker sores form has not been definitively determined but it is likely that their development is related to a reaction of an individual's own immune system. Canker sores are thought to form when, for unexplained reasons, a person's immune system identifies the presence of chemical molecules that it does not recognize. The presence of these molecules activates an attack by the immune system's lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell), somewhat like when a person's immune system attacks a transplanted organ. The carnage of the lymphocytes' attack on these unrecognized molecules results in the type of mouth ulcers we term canker sores.

locations where canker sores form
Canker sores only form on the loose tissues of the mouth (those areas where the skin is not tightly bound to the underlying bone). These types of tissues include the skin found on the inside of the lips and cheeks, the floor of the mouth, the underside of the tongue, the soft palate, and the tonsillar areas.

Diagnosis of canker sores
Dentists usually distinguish canker sores (recurrent minor aphthous ulcers) from other mouth ulcers by way of taking a history from their patient and by way of visual inspection. Typically there is no medical testing (i.e. biopsy or culturing) that is used to identify canker sores. The hallmark characteristics of canker sores are their appearance, location, and the fact that they are recurrent. Additionally, the tissues surrounding canker sores will appear healthy and the patient will have no distinguishing systemic features (such as a fever or malaise).

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