Good afternoon and welcome to today’s webchat with Dr David Winkler & Hilary Lynn from Soothagel.

Sheree wants to know:

What causes mouth ulcers? Are they symptomatic of a more serious health problem?

Dr David Winkler said:

Usually, they are caused by mechanical trauma and can be brought on by physical stress or emotional stress and there are other factors that can contribute to mouth ulcers such as dietary or nutritional deficiencies or possibly food allergies. They can also be genetically determined. In a very rare instance they can be symptomatic of a more serious problem and if they last for more than five days then visit your dentist for advice.

Dean wants to know:

I've heard that sucking lemon slices can help mouth ulcers. Is this true?

Dr David Winkler said:

No, that's an old wives tale and citric acid will actually increase the pain associated with the ulcer. You need to cover the ulcer up with something like Soothagel in order to protect the ulcer from either mechanical trauma or the citric acids that will cause the pain and allow the body to heal itself.

Jeremy wants to know:

What is the difference between a canker sore and a mouth ulcer?

Dr David Winkler said:

It is two countries divided by a common language. A canker sore is American and a mouth ulcer is British!

Tom wants to know:

Are mouth ulcers dangerous?

Dr David Winkler said:

No, they're not dangerous, they are a common occurrence and a Soothagel survey has shown that 75 percent of us do have a mouth ulcer at one time or another and up to 40 percent have them regularly and as stated before, they usually are due to mechanical trauma.

Sam wants to know:

I get mouth ulcers at least a couple of times a month and have heard that recurrent mouth ulcers can be the result of nutritional deficiencies. Is this true and if so, what am I missing?

Dr David Winkler said:

Nutritional deficiencies can cause mouth ulcers. It's been shown that a lack of vitamins, B1, B2, B6, B12 and vitamin C along with other nutrients such as zinc, folic acid, iron, selenium and calcium can contribute to recurrent mouth ulcers.

Terry wants to know:

What if the ulcer is not mechanical or physical stress but stress related... will treatments be effective without the reduction of stress?

Hilary said:

If you know it's due to stress in your lifestyle then Soothagel will relieve the symptoms but in order to stop the recurrence of mouth ulcers you need to effect a lifestyle change, which is much easier, said than done.

Daveyboy wants to know:

Can the type of toothpaste you use affect whether you get mouth ulcers or not?

Dr David Winkler said:

It's been shown that SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) products that are present in certain toothpastes and mouthwashes which are added to create a foam in the toothpaste lead to drying out of the cheeks, lips and tongue and that makes these areas more susceptible to mouth ulcers. So look at the ingredient list of whatever toothpaste or mouthwash you're using and choose accordingly.

Steve wants to know:

My girlfriend suffers from mouth ulcers all the time. I've never had one but she tells me it's painful to kiss me. Is this true - are they that painful or is she just making excuses....

Hilary said:

Soothagel carried out a survey among 1200 people across the UK and found that almost a quarter of people said that they were put off kissing when they had a mouth ulcer so your girlfriend's not the only one. She could try using Soothagel, which would relieve the pain and can reduce the length of time she suffers.

Dr David Winkler said:

Oral health can play a role and make sure if she's getting mouth ulcers as often as she claims then she needs to make sure her oral hygiene regimen is appropriate, in other words she should be brushing, flossing and rinsing as prescribed by her dentist or dental hygienist.

Tom wants to know:

Can you catch mouth ulcers from kissing?

Dr David Winkler said:

No, they're not contagious. Kiss away!

Dave Angel wants to know:

"Where can I buy Soothagel?"

Hilary says:

It's available in most of the main supermarkets, chemists and health food stores and you can find a list of stockists on the website which is www.soothagel.co.uk

Emma wants to know:

I get mouth ulcers every month when I get my period - any ideas why and what I can do to stop it?

Dr David Winkler said:

Mouth ulcers are also caused by hormonal changes and I don't know of any way of stopping them if they are hormonal but to relieve the symptoms place Soothagel on the ulcer three to four times a day.

Jenny wants to know:

"Are mouth ulcers simply a result of being over-tired?"

Hilary said:

64 percent of people in our survey thought that their mouth ulcers were due to stress but there are many other factors that could cause them. Mechanical trauma, physical and emotional stress, lack of certain nutrients, allergies to certain foods, hormonal changes can all contribute to mouth ulcers.

Katie wants to know:

I always get mouth ulcers because I bite the side of my mouth when I'm eating. I've had one in the same place in my mouth for ages - will it always be there? How can I get rid of it?

Dr David Winkler said:

You should go to the dentist and have your bite checked since a constant ulcer can become infected and can lead to other problems long term.

Helen wants to know:

Are you more likely to get mouth ulcers if you're younger or older? Does it make a difference?

Hilary said:

The survey found that 16-24 year olds suffered the most from mouth ulcers. This could be because of hormonal changes but as we've mentioned already there are many factors that could be the cause.

Jenny wants to know:

If I have a few ulcers in my mouth, does this mean there also ulcers in my stomach? Or is this just an old wives' tale?

Dr David Winkler said:

An ulcer is an open sore which can appear anywhere in the body but they are not related and they'll be caused by very different things. Usually a stomach ulcer is due to acidic attack or bacteria where a mouth ulcer is usually caused by mechanical trauma and is very localised.

Trudy wants to know:

I've never had a mouth ulcer but I heard that they are like cold sores- once you get one you're plagued with them forever. Is that true?

Dr David Winkler said:

Cold sores are caused by a virus and it's true that once you've got it you will have the virus with you for the rest of your life whereas a mouth ulcer is usually due to acute mechanical trauma.

Tammy wants to know:

Can mouth ulcers cause bad breath? I often suffer from them and I'm worried what side effects there may be?

Dr David Winkler said:

No, they don't cause bad breath but because it is difficult to clean your teeth when there's a painful ulcer near the teeth and gums you can develop bad breath due to that. That's why treating the ulcer with Soothagel enables you to keep the area clean with a toothbrush without pain and will decrease the problem of bad breath.

Tessa wants to know:

If I feel the start of a mouth ulcer, i.e. tenderness in my mouth, is there anything I can do to stop it?

Hilary says:

If you use Soothagel it will relieve the pain and by coating the ulcer it will enable the body to heal naturally and can reduce the healing time. Go to the website, www.soothagel.co.uk for further information.