What is it?

Aphthous Ulcers are small, white, superficial lesions with a reddened margin. They are usually around 0.5 cm in diameter. They can be single or multiple and can occur anywhere within the mouth.

What is the cause?

They usually occur with disease flare-ups in inflammatory bowel disease and tend to be more common in Crohn's Disease (around 6-20%).

What is the treatment?

As most ulcers occur during flare-ups of the disease, controlling this process may provide relief.

Other topical preparations may be helpful such as:

• antibiotic suspensions.
• steroid ointments.
• antacid suspensions.
• local anaesthetic solutions or gels if the ulcers are painful.

However, the best treatment for complete control of these ulcers is diet.