This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aphthous ulceration

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Aphthous ulcers (also known as Canker sores) are painful, shallow ulcers on the tongue or mucosal surface of the mouth. The ulcer starts as a small vesicle which then breaks down. Healing occurs without scarring.

Aphthous ulcers affect an estimated 39% to 50% of people during their lifetime

  • onset typically occurs between ages 10 and 19 years, and aphthous ulcers are slightly more common in females than males
  • some individuals get aphthous ulcers once or twice a year; others develop them more than once a month
  • frequency of aphthous ulcers usually declines with age

Reference:

  1. Stoopler ET, Villa A, Bindakhil M, et al. Common oral conditions: a review. JAMA. 2024;331(12):1045-1054. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.0953

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.