Most mouth ulcers are painful, harmless and gone within one to two weeks. Check the ones that keep coming back, have a dental cause, or have not healed after two to three weeks.
Tell us how long the ulcer has been there.
Most mouth ulcers heal on their own within one to two weeks. See a dentist if an ulcer has not healed after about two to three weeks, keeps returning in the same place, sits next to a sharp tooth, broken filling or brace, or comes with a red or white patch or a lump. NHS advice is to be seen for any ulcer lasting over three weeks. At Creative Arts in Dubai, dental causes are corrected at the check.
Who treats you here Dr. Duaa Ameen General Dentist · Dr. Julia General Dentist · Dr. Marina Antoniuk Dentist
Every dentist’s licence can be checked on the DHA Sheryan medical directory.
Where the sore is and how it started are the most useful clues.
A round or oval sore with a white or yellow base and a red rim, on the inside of the lips or cheeks, the tongue or the floor of the mouth. Painful, especially with salty or acidic food, and usually healed within one to two weeks.
Appears where the mouth was bitten, burnt by hot food or rubbed by a sharp tooth, a rough filling or a brace. It usually matches the shape of the cause and heals once the cause is removed.
Small blisters on or around the lip that crust over, caused by the herpes simplex virus. They are contagious while blistered and differ from ulcers inside the mouth.
A flat area that is white or red and does not hurt much. If it wipes off, it may be a coating or thrush; if it does not, and has no obvious cause, it should be examined.
NHS guidance lists the most common triggers for a single ulcer as biting the inside of the cheek, braces or dentures that rub, burns from hot food or drink, food intolerances, toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate, and stress or tiredness. Some people get ulcers with hormonal changes, after stopping smoking or because of a tendency that runs in the family.
Several dental causes are easy to miss. A tooth that has chipped can leave an edge sharp enough to cut the tongue every time you speak; our page on chipped or broken teeth explains how they are repaired. An old filling can break and leave a rough margin. Brace brackets and wire ends are a frequent cause in the first weeks of orthodontic treatment, and a retainer or night guard that has warped can rub one spot night after night.
Repeated crops of ulcers, ulcers alongside tiredness or weight loss, or ulcers with gut symptoms can point to a medical cause such as low iron, vitamin B12 or folate, coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease. Those need a doctor.
Time is the most useful guide. Only an examination can say what a sore is.
| Usually a normal ulcer | Book a check | |
|---|---|---|
| How long | Healing within one to two weeks | Not healed after about two to three weeks |
| Pain | Sore, especially with salty, spicy or acidic food | Little or no pain, numbness, or pain that keeps increasing |
| Cause | Obvious bite, burn or new brace | No obvious cause, or the same cause keeps recurring |
| Appearance | Round, shallow, with a red rim | Raised or hard edges, a red or white patch, or a lump |
| Pattern | Occasional, in different places | Always in the same spot, or many ulcers at once |
| Other symptoms | None | Fever, feeling unwell, ulcers elsewhere on the body, swollen neck glands, difficulty swallowing |
An ulcer that does not heal is sometimes a sign of mouth cancer, which is why persistent sores are always examined. Our guide to oral cancer screening explains what is checked.
Contact the clinic during opening hours, 10:00–20:00 daily, if an ulcer has not healed after two to three weeks or a sharp tooth, broken filling or brace wire keeps cutting your mouth. See a doctor if you have many ulcers with fever or feel unwell. Go to a hospital emergency department straight away for facial swelling with fever or difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading to the eye or neck, bleeding that will not stop, or an injury to the head or face. The clinic does not offer an overnight service.
The aim is to find any cause that can be removed and to make sure nothing persistent is overlooked.
How long the sore has been there, whether it has happened before, your medicines and any tobacco use.
Visit 1The ulcer is looked at and gently felt, the rest of the mouth and the neck are checked, and size and position are recorded.
Visit 1A sharp edge is smoothed, a broken filling repaired, a brace wire trimmed or covered, or an appliance adjusted.
Visit 1If the cause was dental, the area is usually checked again after about two weeks to confirm it has healed.
About 2 weeksA sore that persists without a cause is referred for a biopsy; recurrent ulcers may be referred to a GP for blood tests.
If not healedMost ulcers need only the first two or three rows.
| Option | When it fits | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Home care | Every ulcer | A soft toothbrush, avoiding spicy, salty, acidic or crunchy food, warm salt-water rinses, and a toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulphate if ulcers recur |
| Pharmacy treatment | Painful common ulcers | Protective gels, numbing gels or antiseptic rinses from a pharmacy, used as directed on the label or by your pharmacist |
| Correcting a dental cause | Ulcers from a sharp tooth, rough filling or chipped edge | Smoothing the edge or repairing the tooth with a filling or bonding |
| Adjusting a brace or appliance | Ulcers from brackets, wires, retainers or night guards | Wax, trimming or adjusting; see braces problems for what can wait |
| Treatment for cold sores | Blisters on the lip from the herpes virus | Antiviral creams or tablets from a pharmacist or doctor, best started at the first tingle |
| GP referral | Frequent crops of ulcers, or ulcers with other symptoms | Blood tests and investigation of possible medical causes |
| Referral for biopsy | An ulcer or patch that persists without a cause | A small sample under local anaesthetic, examined in a laboratory to give a diagnosis |
Most ulcers are a nuisance, not a danger.
Dr. Duaa Ameen, Dr. Julia and Dr. Marina Antoniuk examine the soft tissues at every check-up, correct dental causes such as sharp edges and broken fillings, and arrange review or referral when a sore does not heal.
Clinical statements on this page are consistent with these independent sources. They describe averages from studies, not a promise for any one patient.
A common mouth ulcer usually heals within one to two weeks. Larger ulcers can take longer. NHS advice is to see a dentist or GP for any ulcer that lasts more than three weeks, and it is reasonable to book sooner if the ulcer has no obvious cause, keeps returning in the same place or is getting bigger.
Yes. A chipped tooth, a broken filling or a rough edge can rub the tongue or cheek every time you talk or chew, creating an ulcer that keeps coming back in the same spot. Smoothing or repairing the tooth usually lets it heal within a week or two. It is worth having checked, because a recurring sore in one place should not be ignored.
Dry the bracket or wire with a tissue and press a small piece of orthodontic wax over it so it stops rubbing. Warm salt-water rinses and a protective or numbing gel from a pharmacy, used as directed, ease the pain. If a wire end is digging in, contact the clinic to have it trimmed rather than cutting it yourself.
Not exactly. An ulcer is a break in the lining of the mouth, often with a white or yellow base. A white patch is a flat area on top of the lining. Some white patches wipe off, such as thrush or a food coating; one that does not wipe off and has no clear cause should be examined, because only a biopsy can say what it is.
Recurrent mouth ulcers often run in families and can be triggered by minor injuries, stress, tiredness, hormonal changes or toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate. Sometimes they are linked to low iron, vitamin B12 or folate, coeliac disease or bowel conditions. If ulcers come in frequent crops, a dentist can rule out dental causes and suggest seeing a GP for tests.
A mouth ulcer is more concerning when it has not healed after about two to three weeks, has no obvious cause, feels hard or raised, causes little pain but persists, or comes with a red or white patch, a lump in the neck or difficulty swallowing. Most still turn out to be harmless, but these signs mean it should be examined promptly.
Creative Arts has a single clinic on Jumeira Street (Jumeirah Beach Road). Ask about parking when you book.
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