Stomatitis

Stomatitis – General Information

Generally, Stomatitis is an inflammation of the mucous that lines any structure in the patient’s mouth, which can include cheeks, tongue, gums, lips, and roof or floor of the mouth. In most cases, the disease appears due to the mouth itself, such as practicing poor oral hygiene, poorly filtered fitted dentures, or other conditions that can cause the disease to appear as a complication or side effect of a certain medications. There are also cases in which the condition appears as result of more severe allergic reactions or infections. Generally, it is considered a painful disease, which can cause, in the first stages of development, signs and symptoms such as redness, swelling, and occasional bleeding from the affected area. There are cases in which the patient can experience bad breath.

Some patients develop this kind of medical condition after physical irritation such as cheek biting, mouth breathing, jagged teeth, orthodontic appliances, or affected dentures. There are rare cases in which the patient develops the disease due to excessive consumption of alcohol, tobacco, spicy and hot foods. Sexually transmitted diseases or STDs can also cause Stomatitis. One of the most common sexually transmitted diseases is gonorrhea which can cause ulcers and erythema to the patient gingiva or tongue, and even pharyngitis. Medicines can also cause Stomatitis and the most common drugs can include Nicorandil, iodides, and non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. Some foods such as highly acid ones can cause oral ulcers, which are the most common cause of the disease.

Stomatitis – Symptoms

It is very important for patients to seek medical support immediately after they start to experience signs and symptoms of Stomatitis. There are many factors that can lead to the appearance of this medical condition and can include: poorly fitted oral appliances, and physical damage such as cheek biting or jagged teeth. The irritation can appear from many other causes such as chronic mouth breathing due to plugged nasal airways, because it can cause dryness of the mouth structures. Certain drinks such as hot ones can cause burning that leads to irritation and especially pain. There are many other diseases that can cause Stomatitis as a complication or side effect and can include herpetic infection, cold sore, gonorrhea, measles, leukemia, and even lack of vitamin C in the patient’s body.

There are also certain systemic diseases that can cause this kind of medical condition and can include inflammatory bowel disease, Behcet’s syndrome etc. There are many forms of Stomatitis, but the most common one affects 90% of patient and is it called aphthous form, also known as recurrent aphtous ulcer. The most common signs and symptoms caused by this condition are experienced by most patients as shallow, painful ulcers that are usually located on the patient’s lips, cheeks, gums, and in any part of the oral cavity. Usually, the ulcers are at least 2 cm or more in diameter. In some cases, the disease can appear due to excessive consumption of alcohol, spices, hot meals and tobacco.

Stomatitis – Treatment

In most cases, the diagnosis of Stomatitis is very challenging, because most patients think that these manifestations appear as complications to other systemic diseases or allergic reactions. It is very important to perform a physical examination to evaluate any oral lesions and other skin diseases. In addition to these test, doctors should also perform certain blood tests to determine if the patient is suffering from other infections. Some doctors choose to collect scrapings of the patient’s lining of the mouth and to send them to the laboratory for a microscopic evaluation to determine if the infectious agent can be the main cause of the disease.

In treating Stomatitis, the available treatment is applied differently, depending on the cause of the disease. In most cases only local cleansing and a proper hygiene of the oral cavity can improve the patient’s condition. It is very important that the patient has a proper diet, trying to avoid peanuts, tacos, and potato chips as much as possible. The patient should also avoid using hard brushes and use soft brushes when cleaning the teeth and gums. There are also certain local factors such as ill dental appliances or sharp teeth that can be corrected by a specialist such as a dentist. Any infectious problems are usually treated with medication, and systemic diseases such as AIDS, leukemia or anemia are treated with the proper available treatment. Other physical damages such as mouth burns from hot foods usually go away on their own in less than a week.

If Stomatitis has been caused by a systemic disease, the treatment is focused on curing that condition, rather than treating this medical condition itself. The aphtous form of the disease is first controlled by administrating vitamin B12 supplements, iron and folate medicines. If any of these therapies brings no benefits, doctors should prescribe medication that can be applied directly to each ulcer using a cotton applicator. Nowadays, most doctors, apply a treatment that consists in administrating low doses of carbon dioxide laser, which can also be helpful in relieving the symptoms and decreasing the disease’s recurrence rate. If the patient experiences major outbreaks of Stomatitis manifestations, the first treatment option is to administrate an antibiotic, especially Tetracycline and corticosteroids. If the condition has been caused by a Herpes virus the first treatment option is based on Valacyclovir, which proved to be very effective in most of the cases. If the patient experiences severe pain, doctors can apply anesthetics or a protective paste, called Orabes and a coating agent, called Kaopectate, to protect the eroded areas from other eventual irritations.

There are other alternative treatments that involve the prevention of the problem. The prognosis for this kind of disease usually depends on its cause, because many factors can be modified, treated and even avoided. The expectations are really high if the disorder is diagnosed in time. The infectious causes are usually managed with medication, and if the disease is caused by a drug, the best option is to change the prescription.