Many people could experience a canker sore at some point in their lives, but finding a sudden change in the mouth could be a little scary, especially when the person might not know what it is, why it appeared, and how long it will be there.

A canker sore usually appears on the moist, fleshy surface inside the mouth, such as the cheeks, tongue, roof, or gums. They typically heal on their own within a few weeks and are harmless. However, it could also signal a more serious condition known as oral cancer. So, how can these two conditions be different from one another?

What Is a Canker Sore?

According to Mayo Clinic, canker sores are also called aphthous ulcers and are characterized by small, shallow lesions on the mouth's soft tissues and the gums' base. They do not appear on the lips and are not contagious, but canker sores could be painful and make eating and talking difficult.

Symptoms may include a round or oval with a white or yellow center and a red border that formed inside the mouth. It usually gives a tingling or burning sensation a day or two before the sores appear.

It is categorized into three types - minor, major, and herpetiform sores. Minor canker sores are usually small, oval-shaped with a red edge, and heal on their own. Major canker sores are less common and are larger than minor canker sores, usually round with defined borders, can be extremely painful, and may take up to six weeks before it heals.

Lastly, herpetiform canker sores are the most uncommon type but are usually seen in older adults. Despite its name, it is not caused by herpes virus infection. These canker sores are pinpoint in size, often occur in clusters of 10 to 100, have irregular edges, and heal without scarring in just one to two weeks.

How to Identify Canker Sore from Oral Cancer? Here are Some of Their Key Differences
(Photo : Wikimedia Commons/DermNetNZ)
Aphthous Stomatitis

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Oral Cancer Explained

Oncologist Katharine Price, M.D. told Mayo Clinic that oral cancer, also known as mouth cancer, is cancer that develops on the parts of the oral cavity, including lips, gums, tongue, the inner lining of cheeks, the roof of the mouth, and under the tongue.

Mouth cancer is just one of the cancers grouped in the head and neck category, often treated similarly. Signs and symptoms of mouth cancer include a lip or mouth sore that never heals, a white or reddish patch inside the mouth, loose teeth, growth or lump inside the mouth, mouth and ear pain, and difficulty swallowing.

Experts recommend seeking an appointment with a doctor if persistent signs and symptoms last for more than two weeks. Doctors will likely investigate for common causes, such as an infection/

Canker Sore Vs. Oral Cancer

MD Anderson's Cancer Center interviewed Ann Gillenwater, M.D., the director of the Oral Cancer Prevention Clinic at the center, to learn how to tell a canker sore from symptoms of oral cancer.

What Gillenwater first look for is the appearance of the ulcer. For example, canker sores are often red and angry because of the inflamed surrounding tissue. Also, they tend to be flatter compared to oral cancers that have tiny bumps.

Next, she would check the behavior of ulcers. Canker sores are often painful and become less painful as the. The opposite is true with oral cancer, which is usually not painful at an earlier stage.

Then, changes in the symptoms are recorded. It is recommended to consult a doctor if there are small spots that start to grow larger, a white spot that turns red, or a lesion that bleeds. It is also best to monitor symptoms if they have worsened over time. Canker sores usually heal on their own within two to three weeks.

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