Mouth sores can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose mouth sores, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Syphilis | 95% | Confirm |
Sjogren's Syndrome | 13% | Unlikely |
Lupus (SLE) | 13% | Unlikely |
Lichen Planus | 4% | Ruled out |
Melanoma | 4% | Ruled out |
Candida / Yeast | 2% | Ruled out |
Increased Folic Acid Need | 1% | Ruled out |
Leukoplakia | 1% | Ruled out |
Have you had any ulcers, sores, or red or white patches inside your mouth lasting for more than three weeks? (Mouth Ulcers / Canker Sores generally heal within a couple of weeks.)
Possible responses:
→ No / don't know→ Yes, but not now → Yes, barely noticeable AND lasting under 2 months → Yes, significant OR lasting over 2 months → Yes, significant AND lasting over 2 months |
Mouth sores during chemotherapy are one of the most common short term side-effects.
About half of those who get lichen planus also develop mouth sores.
Sjogren's Syndrome can result in painful mouth sores due to a dry mouth and/or Candida infection.
Flat white sores can appear in the mouth and/or throat during the second stage of syphilis infection.