Aphthous ulcer, also known as a canker sore, is a type of mouth ulcer that presents as a painful open sore inside the mouth. The lesion is a small oval to round ulcer with a red border. They occur on the mucous membranes inside the mouth. They are painful but clear up within three to 14 days without scarring. It is unusual for them to become infected. The cause is unknown, but they are not contagious. This is one of the most common oral conditions to occur. At least 10% of the population has it, and women are more often affected than men. About 30-40% of patients with aphthous ulcers report a family history. The ulcers become less frequent as we get older. Aphthous ulcers commonly come back. Some people have a few out breaks a year, while others can have them almost all the time. Normally, seeing us for treatment usually is not necessary. Reported by emedicinehealth.com and wikipedia.org
Treatment of aphthous ulcer will be discussed in another blog!!