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Oral ulceration (Part 1)

British Dental Journal volume 235, pages 869–874 (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

Ulceration is probably the oral mucosal condition seen most frequently by general dental practitioners. It is almost always painful and therefore sufferers are prompt to seek advice. An important exception to this generalisation is the occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma, which is often painless in its early stages. Definitive diagnosis, which requires mucosal biopsy, is mandatory for any persistent area of oral ulceration.

Key points

  • Diagnosis of oral ulceration is based on the clinical appearance of the ulcer and the history of symptoms.

  • Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is the most frequent ulcerative condition to affect the oral mucosa.

  • Oral ulceration usually represents a localised disorder, although on occasions, it can represent the initial manifestation of underlying systemic disease.

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References

  1. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. Aphthous ulcer. 2022. Available at https://cks.nice.org.uk/aphthous-ulcer (accessed October 2023).

  2. Chavan M, Jain H, Diwan N, Khedkar S, Shete A, Durkar S. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a review. J Oral Pathol Med 2012; 41: 577-583.

  3. Edgar N R, Saleh D, Miller R A. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a review. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2017; 10: 26-36.

  4. Goel R M, Ormond M, Nayee S, Hullah E A, Sanderson J D, Escudier M. A guide to oral ulceration for the medical physician. Br J Hosp Med (Lond) 2015; 76: 337-342.

  5. Talacko A A, Gordon A K, Aldred M J. The patient with recurrent oral ulceration. Aust Dent J 2010; 55: 14-22.

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Acknowledgements

The BDJ Editorial Team would like to thank the authors of this chapter for granting us permission to republish their chapter within our journal. This chapter was first originally published in Michael A. O. Lewis and Philip-John Lamey, Oral Medicine in Primary Dental Care, BDJ Clinician's Guides, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15432-5_2. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Further reading is included in the references list.1,2,3,4,5 The second half of this chapter will be republished in an upcoming issue of the BDJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Dentistry, Cardiff University School of Dentistry, Cardiff, United Kingdom

    Michael A. O. Lewis

  2. Edinburgh Dental Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Philip-John Lamey

Authors
  1. Michael A. O. Lewis
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  2. Philip-John Lamey
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael A. O. Lewis.

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Lewis, M., Lamey, PJ. Oral ulceration (Part 1). Br Dent J 235, 869–874 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6504-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6504-3

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