mouth ulcers in children

[star]

Jasper calling you or Clucks or anyone in the know.What am I supposed to do about a sore,white ulcer on my daughters gum?Will the dentist laugh at me if I book an urgent app with him tomorrow and take her down there?Or shouldn't I panic?She's been in tears about it tonight and won't let me see it much.She won't let me put salt on it.What else should be done?I'm

star

Noone will laugh if you ask for her to be seen the same day. A child in pain will be seen the same day usually. It sounds like an aphthous ulcer, which is painful but can take a couple of weeks to go away. Sometimes though, especially if accompanied by malaise and temperature, it can be a Herpes infection (v. common in children, don't panic).

If she is so anxious, will she let the dentist examine her?

Clucks thanks so much for your message.Will take her down there tomorrow for a little look.Couldn't believe it when I saw it it is so white I thought it was her tooth growing out from below her gum.

Hi Star, I have started at least 2 threads on that very topic in the past... so I do know how painful it can be... Our dentist says it's down to my son's immune system being very run down... and sure enough he gets this versus other kids getting other things like colds, etc

I avoid tomatoes and anything remotely acidic and let him eat what he wants whilst it is painful.... hope that helps

Wouldn't salt be agony for her? Just thinking of getting Marmite on an ulcer makes my eyes water!

The best thing I've ever used for ulcers is Adcortyl in Orabase. It's a bit fiddly to put on as you have to dry the area, apply the paste and let that dry (it takes seconds, though, not hours!). The area is then left with a covering of paste which prevents that painful rubbing everyt time you speak or eat. The paste has hydrocortisone in, which speeds up healing. Once you've used it you'll never even consider Bonjela again! You can buy it at the chemist - I think (but don't quote me) it costs less than a fiver. HTH

If it helps, i have read somewher that some toothpase additive protects against mouth ulcers, try asking the dentist

Hi Pupuce,Suedonim and Cos and thanks for your recommendations and advice.Pupuce I'll do a search for the other threads on it.She is a bit run down after catching bugs and having cattarh quite badly lately.It's funny as out of my two she's the one who eats well having a school dinner and a cooked tea as well-eating it all up.My son won't touch school dinners having packed lunch instead and has hardly caught anything this winter,he's still an incredibly fussy eater since being a baby.Anyway,her favourite dentist is away today unfortunately and she won't open her mouth for anyone else.And seeing as it isn't keeping her awake,she's booked in to see him tommorrow.Will pop down the chemist to get some of that stuff.Thanks a lot.

Star, I'm no expert on the subject but I used to get mouth ulcers a lots around the time of my periods and ds is also prone to them. I read somewhere that lack of vitamin B can be one of the causes so I have tried up both mine and ds's intake (marmite, since you ask) and there has been a huge improvement for us both.

It may not work for others but may be worth a try if it becomes a recurring problem for your dd.

The only thing that's ever worked for me is topically applied Propolis. It's a bee product and you buy it from health food shops - it's brown and looks yucky but tastes sweetish and really really works ! Was recommended it last year by a lovely emergency dentist I saw at my usual practice - he's into alternative things and said it's the only thing he'd ever found that worked.

Hi there - DO DO DO search for other ( past ) threads ... without sounding too cocky - been there, done that and got the T shirt. But it really IS horrid and my heart goes out to you.
Along with tomatoes - avoid fizzy drinks AT ALL COSTS - how old is DD ?

I have suffered from ulcers ( 5 at a time ) and it's not funny. DS had an "ulcer problem" which transpired to be the herpes virus. Problems went away after a course of anti-biotics.

But sleepless nights and traumatic meal times are not funny.

Thinking of you

Hi Crystaltips,dd is 5.So far as she'll let me see she has only one ulcer at the front on her gum.I'm taking her to the dentists soon.Thanks for your concern it's nice of you,and for advice on what to avoid.
Hi there Sis,how's things with you?That's interesting about the vit b.She hasn't had marmite for a while but I know she loves it.
Scatterbrain that sounds yummy stuff,you know what kids are like they only want it if it tastes nice.I'll ask the dentist if she can have some at her age.Ta.
How marvellous to get so much helpful advice and nice wishes.I always come to you lot first with any problems instead of phoning my mum first

Was a trauma ulcer.Dentist said he has 2 or 3 patients with recurring ulcers which are due to viruses,vit b or iron deficiencies mainly.