In most cases, the oral lesions that children sometimes present are benign and are resolved within a few days with proper care. But the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) insists on the importance of these being valued by a specialist, in order to detect more serious problems as soon as possible.
We tell you what are the main oral lesions that occur in childhood, what symptoms they present and how we can relieve them.
Cold sores
Canker sores are, perhaps, the most common oral lesion in children and also one of the most painful. They are small white or yellowish sores that are usually located in the inner part of the lips, cheeks or tongue.
They are very upset at mealtime, sometimes at the time of speaking and they hurt if we rub or rub them with our tongue or teeth. The causes that favor its appearance are several:
- Viral or bacterial infections
- Low defenses or immune system altered by some previous situation
- Poor oral hygiene
- Lack of vitamins and minerals, with the lack of iron, vitamin b12 and folic acid the ones that can affect the most.
They usually heal on their own after a few days, but if the child is especially upset we can consult with the pediatrician to offer pain treatment.
Its appearance cannot always be avoided, but we can contribute by eating a healthy and balanced diet and maintaining proper dental hygiene.
Yeast infection (thrush)
The thrush is a very common infection caused by a fungus that manifests itself in the form of white spots inside the cheeks, palate, tongue and lips.
The whitish appearance reminds us of the aspect that remains inside the mouth after drinking a glass of milk, so it can be difficult to detect at first. The difference is that muguet spots do not disappear when rinsing or try to clean them with a wet gauze.
In principle it is something harmless that will disappear in a few days, although sometimes it can be especially annoying and cause burning in the mouth and therefore rejection of food.
At the first symptoms, we must immediately consult the pediatrician to prevent the infection from spreading and cause more discomfort, and pay special attention to babies with thrush that reject the breast or bottle.
Although thrush is more common for babies, it can also appear in older children, especially after an antibiotic treatment that alters the bacterial flora from the mouth
Nozzles or angular cheilitis
It is an inflammatory lesion on the lips that causes cracks and fissures in one or both corners. They are quite annoying and usually take time to heal because they get worse with the humidity of the saliva, the opening of the mouth or with any movement or gesture we make with the lips.
As Dr. Iglesias Sánchez did not explain a few months ago, the main cause of appearance is usually the accumulation of saliva at the corner of the mouth that ends up macerating the skin and causing a fissure. But they can also occur for other reasons such as cold, stress, incubation of a flu or improper feeding.
In the case of babies, the most common is that they appear because of injuries that the child is done unconsciously when you put objects in your mouth.
With patience, proper bucondental hygiene and a lot of hydration with petroleum jelly, the gretas end up disappearing after a few days. But if not, it is important to consult with the pediatrician for a more thorough evaluation.
Herpes labialis
Herpetic gingivostomatosis, or herpes simplex virus infection, is a viral infection that causes blisters and ulcers in the mouth (lips, tongue, gums and inside the cheeks) or on the face. It is also called cold sores or cold sores.
The causes of occurrence can be varied:
- Stress,
- After long exposure to the sun
- Weakened immune system
- After a flu with fever
- By direct contact with another affected person
Sometimes, the wounds can be very bulky and take a lot of painIn addition to presenting other symptoms such as fever, malaise, headache or loss of appetite.
Before the first symptoms It is important to immediately consult the pediatrician, who will tell us how to act based on the severity of the injury. In addition, we must bear in mind that It is a very contagious virus, so if our child has cold sores we should avoid direct contact with other people (especially with babies, given the serious risk it can pose for their health and life to get this infection).
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is an oral condition that affects the gums, causing inflammation, redness, pain and bleeding.
The main cause is the accumulation of bacterial plaque in the gums, so the best way to keep it at bay is to take proper oral hygiene, using fluoride toothpaste (with amounts appropriate to the child's age) and brush your teeth after each meal.
It is also important have a healthy and balanced diet, since a correct supply of calcium and vitamin C will help to have strong gums.
Migratory glossitis or geographic language
It is a benign, chronic and inflammatory pathology It affects the tongue and it starts in childhood.
Initially, a whitish plaque appears that extends towards the edges of the tongue (and that can be confused with thrush), and evolves towards the formation of irregular rings or grooves, which can change in shape and size as the days go by.
It is not something contagious and usually does not usually cause any problems, although with the intake of spicy or acidic foods the child may notice some stinging.
The cause is not known exactly and the list of factors that may be behind the geographical language is very long. There is also no specific treatment, and usually usually with buds that appear and disappear for various reasons, including stress.
Who to consult in case of detecting these injuries?
If our child has any of these oral lesions it is important to consult with his pediatrician, although experts demand a multidisciplinary approach that allows to distinguish between benign and serious lesions:
"The mouth is one of the territories in which different specialists develop their work (dermatologists, pediatricians, stomatologists, digestologists, surgeons ...) and where the lesions can be benign in nature - most frequently - but also constitute signs of serious ailments, which always makes a thorough evaluation advisable ”- said Dr. Vicente García-Patos, Vice President of the Spanish Dermatology and Venereology Department, at the 46th Annual Congress held a few months ago.
Also, this Congress reflected on the difficulty of administering treatment to children suffering from this type of injury: "It is key to have pharmaceutical forms that facilitate administration in children, such as gels, lollipops ... There are few options, and in most cases they have to be formulated", experts said.
Via AEDV
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