Mouth Ulcers in Epsom:
Small Sore, Big Nuisance
That stinging spot on your tongue, lip, or cheek that makes every meal, hot drink, and conversation a little miserable. Most mouth ulcers heal on their own in 7–10 days — but when they keep coming back, or one simply won't heal, there's always a reason. We find it.
Had the same ulcer for 3 weeks or more? Any ulcer that hasn't healed in three weeks should be examined promptly — it's usually something simple, but it's the one rule we never bend. Call us: 01372 679192.
What a Mouth Ulcer Actually Is
A mouth ulcer is a small break in the soft lining of the mouth — a round or oval sore, usually white, yellow, or grey with a red edge. They appear on the tongue, inside the lips and cheeks, and on the gums, and they hurt out of all proportion to their size because the mouth's lining is packed with nerve endings.
Around one in five people gets recurring ulcers (dentists call them aphthous ulcers), and almost everyone gets the occasional one-off from a bite or a sharp edge. The vast majority are completely harmless and heal within 7–10 days without treatment. The skill is in knowing which ones deserve a closer look — and that's exactly what a quick assessment gives you.
What an assessment involves: we examine the ulcer and the tissue around it, check for anything mechanical that's causing it — a sharp tooth, a rough filling, a rubbing denture — and review the pattern of any recurring ulcers alongside your medical history. You'll leave knowing what's behind it and how to stop it coming back. See our fees for full transparency.
Why Mouth Ulcers Happen
Most ulcers trace back to one of six causes — and recurring ulcers often have two or three working together. Finding yours is how you stop the cycle, not just soothe this week's sore.
Trauma & Rubbing
The most common cause of a one-off ulcer: an accidental cheek bite, a sharp or broken tooth, a rough filling edge, a rubbing denture, or new braces and aligners. These heal quickly once the source is smoothed or adjusted — and keep returning in the same spot until it is.
Stress & Tiredness
Run-down, stressed, or short on sleep? Ulcers love it. Many patients can map their outbreaks to exam periods, work deadlines, or a rough few weeks. It's also why ulcers often show up alongside jaw clenching and grinding — same trigger, different symptom.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Low iron, vitamin B12, or folate is one of the most overlooked causes of recurring ulcers. If outbreaks come with tiredness or pale gums, a simple blood test via your GP is worth it. Our guide to vitamins for healthy teeth and gums covers the essentials.
Foods & Toothpaste
Acidic and spicy foods — citrus, pineapple, tomatoes, chilli — trigger ulcers in some people, as can chocolate, coffee, and cheese. Less well known: SLS, a foaming agent in many toothpastes, is a proven trigger. Switching to an SLS-free paste alone stops outbreaks for some patients.
Hormones & Illness
Some people get ulcers around their menstrual cycle, and outbreaks are common when the immune system is busy fighting a cold or virus. Children and teenagers get them frequently — usually the harmless kind that settle as quickly as they arrive.
Medical Conditions & Medications
Persistent or unusually severe ulcers can accompany conditions like coeliac disease, Crohn's, or anaemia, and some medications (including nicorandil and NSAIDs) list ulcers as a side effect. A dry mouth also makes ulcers more frequent and slower to heal.
Ulcers are not contagious. You can't catch a mouth ulcer or pass one on — that's the key difference from cold sores, which are caused by a virus and appear on the outside of the lips. If your sore is on the lip border and blisters first, it's likely a cold sore, and a pharmacist can help.
What Kind of Ulcer Do You Have?
Most ulcers fit one of these patterns — and the pattern tells us a lot:
- The classic small ulcer (minor aphthous) — under 1cm, white-yellow centre with a red halo, stings for a few days, gone within 7–10. Eight out of ten ulcers are this kind.
- The large, deep ulcer (major aphthous) — bigger than 1cm, more painful, and can take several weeks to heal, sometimes leaving a small scar. Worth showing us, especially the first time you get one.
- Clusters of pinhead ulcers (herpetiform) — dozens of tiny ulcers that merge into an irregular sore patch. Despite the name, not caused by the herpes virus and not contagious.
- The friction ulcer — always in the same spot, right where a sharp tooth, filling edge, or denture touches. Heals fast once we smooth or adjust whatever's rubbing — and not before.
- The brace or aligner ulcer — common in the first weeks of orthodontic treatment while the mouth toughens up. Wax and time usually solve it; if you're mid-Invisalign and an edge is rubbing, we can smooth it.
- The one that won't heal — any ulcer still there after 3 weeks, painful or not. This is the one to book in for — see below.
Not sure which yours is? A photo helps, but an examination settles it in minutes. If an ulcer keeps returning or is making eating miserable, come and see us. New patients always welcome.
When an Ulcer Needs a Proper Look
Most ulcers need nothing more than patience and a pharmacy gel. These four situations are the exceptions — the ones we'd rather see than have you wait out.
An Ulcer That Hasn't Healed in 3 Weeks
The single most important rule on this page. Almost all ulcers heal within two weeks; one that persists beyond three needs to be examined, even if it doesn't hurt. It's nearly always something simple — a friction source, a deficiency — but a persistent ulcer is also the one symptom dentists routinely check to rule out mouth cancer, and early checks are quick, painless, and reassuring.
Ulcers That Keep Coming Back
More than three or four outbreaks a year, ulcers that always return to the same spot, or outbreaks that are getting more frequent or more severe. Recurring ulcers have a cause — friction, deficiency, toothpaste, an underlying condition — and finding it beats treating each ulcer as it comes.
Other Changes Alongside It
A lump or thickened area, a white or red patch that doesn't wipe away, numbness, difficulty swallowing, or an ulcer with fever and feeling unwell. These deserve prompt assessment — and if an infection is brewing, our dental abscess guide covers the signs.
Something Sharp Is Causing It
If you can feel a sharp tooth, a broken filling, or a denture edge exactly where the ulcer sits, don't wait three weeks — the ulcer can't heal while the cause keeps rubbing. Smoothing a sharp edge takes minutes and the relief is almost immediate.
An ulcer lasting 3+ weeks, a persistent lump, or a red or white patch? Book in promptly — don't wait for your next check-up. It's very likely nothing serious, and a five-minute examination is how we make sure of it. Call 01372 679192 and mention it's a non-healing ulcer.
Managing Mouth Ulcers — At Home and With Us
For the everyday ulcer, home care is about two things: easing the sting while it heals, and removing the triggers so the next one doesn't follow. Here's what actually works.
- Rinse with warm salt water. Half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, two or three times a day. Old-fashioned, mildly stingy for a second, and still one of the most effective ways to keep an ulcer clean and speed healing.
- Use a pharmacy gel or protective paste. Products with lidocaine numb the sting; protective pastes coat the ulcer so eating hurts less. Antimicrobial mouthwashes (like chlorhexidine, used short-term) help prevent infection in larger ulcers.
- Avoid your trigger foods while it heals. Citrus, tomatoes, vinegar, spice, crisps, and very hot drinks all light up an ulcer. Soft, cool, plain food for a few days makes a real difference.
- Try an SLS-free toothpaste. If you get recurring ulcers, this is the easiest experiment there is — switch for a month and watch what happens. Several mainstream brands make SLS-free versions.
- Keep brushing — gently. A soft brush, care around the sore spot, and don't skip the area entirely. A clean mouth heals faster. Our preventive care page covers the routine worth having.
- Don't pick, prod, or pop. Tempting, but it restarts the healing clock every time — and turns a 7-day ulcer into a 3-week one.
- Paracetamol or ibuprofen for the worst days. Taken as directed, either takes the edge off a painful ulcer — useful when eating or talking is genuinely difficult.
- Look after the basics. Sleep, stress, and a balanced diet are unglamorous ulcer treatments — and among the most effective for people who get them in runs. If outbreaks track with tiredness, mention it: it may be worth checking iron and B12 with your GP.
Curious about cost? Our fees page has full pricing for check-ups and any treatment, and payment plans are available. You'll always have a clear written price before anything starts — no surprises.
Why Choose Epsom Smiles for Mouth Ulcers?
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We Find What's Causing Them
Sharp edge, rubbing denture, toothpaste, deficiency, stress pattern — recurring ulcers always have a reason. We piece it together from the ulcer's position, your history, and a proper examination, and where the cause is medical we'll write to your GP with what we've found.
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Mechanical Causes Fixed On the Spot
A sharp tooth smoothed, a filling edge polished, a denture adjusted — the friction ulcers that have nagged for months are often a five-minute fix once the source is identified.
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The 3-Week Rule, Taken Seriously
A non-healing ulcer gets a prompt appointment, a thorough soft-tissue examination, and a clear explanation — and on the rare occasion something needs a specialist opinion, we refer quickly and handle the paperwork.
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Gentle With Sore Mouths
An ulcerated mouth makes even an examination feel daunting. We take it slowly and comfortably — and if dental visits make you anxious generally, our nervous patients guide explains how we help.
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Transparent Pricing — No Surprises
You'll know the cost of any recommended treatment before we start. Our fees page is fully transparent, and finance options are available when needed.
"I'd had ulcers on the same patch of cheek for the best part of a year and assumed it was just me. Turned out an old filling had a sharp edge — polished smooth in one visit and I haven't had an ulcer there since. Wish I'd come in months earlier."Google Review
Mouth Ulcer FAQs
Warm salt-water rinses two or three times a day, a pharmacy gel or protective paste over the ulcer, and avoiding acidic, spicy, or rough foods while it heals. Don't touch or prod it — that restarts healing every time. Most ulcers managed this way settle within a week. If something sharp in your mouth is causing it, though, no gel will fix it — the edge needs smoothing first.
Book in if an ulcer hasn't healed after 3 weeks (even if painless), if you get frequent or unusually large ulcers, if one keeps returning to the same spot, if you can feel a sharp tooth or denture edge causing it, or if there's a lump, a white or red patch, numbness, or you feel unwell with it. Everything else can usually be managed at home — but if it's making you miserable, we're happy to look sooner.
The big six: minor trauma (cheek bites, sharp teeth, rubbing dentures or braces), stress and tiredness, vitamin deficiencies (iron, B12, folate), food and toothpaste triggers (acidic foods and the foaming agent SLS), hormonal changes and everyday illness, and — less commonly — underlying medical conditions or medications. Recurring ulcers usually have two or three of these working together.
No. Mouth ulcers can't be caught or passed on through kissing, sharing cutlery, or anything else. Cold sores are the contagious ones — they're caused by a virus, blister before they scab, and appear on or around the outside of the lips rather than inside the mouth. If you're not sure which you have, the location is usually the giveaway.
Recurring ulcers always have a pattern worth reading. Same spot every time usually means friction — a sharp tooth or filling edge. Outbreaks in stressful or run-down periods point to stress and immunity. Ulcers with tiredness or pale gums suggest low iron or B12. And if they started when you changed toothpaste, SLS may be the culprit. An assessment plus, where needed, a GP blood test finds the cause in most people.
Yes — it's one of the most consistent triggers. Stress and lack of sleep affect the immune system, and the mouth's lining is often where it shows first. Many patients can map their outbreaks precisely onto deadlines, exams, or difficult patches. Stress also drives jaw clenching and grinding, so the two often arrive together — our teeth grinding guide covers that side.
A painless ulcer that heals within a couple of weeks is nothing to dwell on. The one to act on is a painless ulcer that persists — pain isn't a reliable guide to whether an ulcer matters, and the 3-week rule applies whether it hurts or not. A quick examination settles it either way, and for the vast majority of people the answer is reassurance.
It depends on the cause. Mechanical causes get fixed directly — smoothing sharp edges, adjusting dentures. Frequent aphthous ulcers can be treated with prescription-strength mouthwashes, steroid pastes or dissolving tablets that shorten outbreaks, and targeted advice on toothpaste and triggers. And for anything persistent, a thorough soft-tissue examination — with a quick referral pathway if a specialist opinion is ever needed.
Very commonly — and they're almost always the harmless kind, triggered by minor knocks, viral illnesses, or the general wear and tear of childhood. Soft foods, salt rinses for older children, and age-appropriate pain relief usually see them through. Bring your child in if ulcers are frequent, unusually large, stopping them eating or drinking, or lasting beyond two weeks.
You May Also Be Looking For
Most Ulcers Heal in a Week.
The Ones That Don't Are Why We're Here.
One assessment finds the cause, fixes anything that's rubbing, and — for the ulcer that's outstayed three weeks — gives you a proper answer instead of another fortnight of wondering. New patients always welcome.
Or email us at enquiries@epsomsmilesdental.co.uk