| What's the difference between a canker
sore and a cold sore? Canker sores are often confused with cold
sores. An easy way to distinguish between
the two is to remember that canker sores
occur inside the mouth, and cold sores
usually occur outside the mouth.
A canker sore (also called aphthous ulcers)
is a small ulcer with a white or
gray base and red border. There can be
one
or a number of sores in the mouth.
Canker sores are very common and often
recur.
A cold sore, which is also called fever
blister or herpes simplex, is composed
of groups of painful, fluid-filled blisters
that often erupt around the lips and
sometime under the nose or under the
chin. Cold sores are usually caused by
herpes virus type I and are very contagious.
Canker sores usually heal in about a week
or two. Rinsing with antimicrobial mouthrinses
may help reduce the irritation. Over-the-counter
topical anesthetics can also provide
relief. Cold sores usually heal in about
a week. Over-the-counter topical anesthetics
can provide temporary relief and prescription
antiviral drugs may reduce these kinds
of viral infections.
Please note: The ADA does not provide specific answers
to individual questions about fees, dental problems, conditions, diagnoses,
treatments or proposed treatments, or requests for research. Information about
dental referrals, complaints and a variety of dental procedures may
be found here. You can also refer to our Frequently
Asked Questions page for answers to common questions.
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