![12 Top Mouth Pain Causes & How to Treat Them [2024]](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fee3fd14df42836719a4aa2/6697575f0ec69d0837c5b4e1_Screenshot%202024-07-17%20013159.png)
Mouth pain can interfere with your day-to-day life and impact your overall oral health. Nagging pain and discomfort can prevent you from enjoying daily activities like eating, drinking, and more.
Addressing your mouth pain now may help prevent extensive dental work down the road, like dental implants or dental bridges. That being said, it’s important for your health, not to mention your finances, to understand what exactly is going on with your particular mouth pain.
This article offers information to help you identify mouth pain causes and how to treat them.
Keep in mind that it’s usually a good idea to speak with your dental provider to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
There could be numerous reasons why you may be experiencing mouth pain. Gum disease, canker sores, burns or injuries, or cavities are just some of the top reasons you could be having mouth pain. The location of your mouth pain will tell you a lot about what is causing your particular pain. Some locations where mouth pain may occur include:
- Roof of your mouth
- Inside of your cheeks
- Back of your mouth
- Gums
- Tongue
Learn the top possible causes of mouth pain. There could be more than one reason you’re experiencing mouth pain that is affecting your oral health or day-to-day comfort.
A mouth burn has happened to the best of us, whether biting into a hot piece of pizza or drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee. A burn on the roof of the mouth can cause serious pain and tenderness.
Burns in the mouth can heal quickly, and cooling down your mouth with water or ice can provide quick relief. If pain and burns persist where you have a difficult time swallowing, get immediate medical attention.
Your mouth pain could also point to mouth trauma. This injury occurs from cutting or scratching your mouth while eating certain hard foods. While your mouth is healing, try to avoid acidic things like citrus or coffee to avoid further irritation.
According to a recent study, about 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women 30 years or older had some level of periodontitis (gum disease).
Gum disease occurs when there is a buildup of plaque and gums become swollen and tender. Gingivitis is the most minor form of gum disease, and periodontitis is the most extreme form. Reasons for gum disease are lifestyle choices like poor dental hygiene or smoking.
Common symptoms of gum disease may include:
- Swollen or sore gums
- Bleeding gums after brushing or flossing
- Loose teeth
If you're experiencing pain around a certain tooth when you eat, and it gets worse with hot and cold temperatures, you may have a dental abscess. A dental abscess is a bacterial infection that shows up as a pus pocket around a tooth.
Some common signs of a dental abscess could include:
- Major toothache or gum pain
- Redness in or outside the mouth
- Sensitivity to hot or cold food and drinks
- An unpleasant taste in your mouth
- It’s challenging to open your mouth or chew food
- Face or jaw swelling
- A higher temperature
If you’re experiencing bleeding or sore lesions inside your mouth, you may have oral thrush.
Oral thrush is a type of yeast infection caused by a fungus, Candida albicans. While anyone can get it, it’s common for babies or those with underlying health issues or a weakened immune system.
It’s best to treat this mouth infection promptly to prevent serious infections in adults. While oral thrush can go away on its own in babies, prescription antifungal medications can easily treat it.
Dry mouth is an unpleasant parched feeling in your mouth that can come with mouth sores, a rough tongue, and burning sensations in the mouth.
Most of the time, dry mouth is a result of dehydration. When your salivary glands don’t produce enough saliva, it can cause the unfortunate result of dry mouth.
Sometimes, certain medications or underlying health conditions like diabetes can cause dry mouth.
We have all encountered the pain of a canker sore in our lives, but what is the cause of it? A canker sore is a small type of ulcer that forms on the cheeks, tongue, or back of the roof of the mouth. Typically, it’s white with a red outline.
Canker sores can be caused by many factors, including:
- Food sensitivities
- Stress
- Vitamin deficiencies
- A viral infection
- Hormone fluctuations
They are painful to deal with and come with tingling and burning sensations when eating or drinking.
Oral Herpes (also called HSV) is a virus that causes cold sores. These sores can typically show up on the lips. If you’re newly infected, they could also appear on the tongue, throat, or gums.
A burning sensation occurs before a lesion shows up on the surface. Common symptoms may include:
- A sore throat
- Swollen lymph nodes
- A fever
- Muscle aches
There are other viral and bacterial infections that can lead to painful sores or lesions inside the mouth. The most common ones are:
- Chickenpox
- Shingles
- Hand, foot, and mouth disease
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Infectious mononucleosis
- Syphilis
While it does take a lot of time for an infection to spread to the jaw and other areas of the head and neck, if an infection goes untreated for a long time, it can become fatal. Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection, and it is a life-threatening medical emergency.
Also known as a cavity, tooth decay could be causing your tooth pain. Cavities are caused by plaque buildup, eating sugary foods or drinks, and poor dental hygiene. Tooth decay looks like a small white or discolored spot that occurs when bacteria eat through the hard enamel outer layer of a tooth.
With tooth decay, bacteria create a plaque that sticks to your teeth. Certain types of bacteria give off acid that can lead to holes or cavities.
Oral lichen planus is a chronic and ongoing inflammatory condition that affects mucous membranes inside the mouth. It can be seen as white, lacy patches, red, swollen tissues, or open sores that cause burning and pain.
It’s unknown what causes oral lichen planus, but it can often be tied to an immune response and other conditions, including:
- Medications such as NSAIDs and beta-blockers
- An injury to the mouth
- An allergic reaction in the mouth
A growth caused by an infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is a squamous papilloma. It’s a benign (noncancerous) type of growth that develops inside the mouth.
Squamous papillomas is typically located on the tongue or the roof of the mouth with very little pain at first. It can become painful or worse if the growth is irritated when chewing.
Cancer can occur in any part of the body where cells grow out of control, including orally. Oral cancer can affect many different areas inside the mouth, including the roof of the mouth, the tongue, the cheeks, salivary glands, and gums.
Possible symptoms of oral cancer include the following:
- Sores on lips or mouth that don’t heal
- White or red patches on the inside of your mouth
- A lump or growth within the mouth
- Mouth pain
- Ear pain
- Teeth that are loose
- It’s hard or painful to swallow
Tobacco use is a major risk factor for oral cancer, including smoking and cigars.
The treatment you receive for mouth pain can vary depending on the cause of your mouth pain. It’s important to seek medical advice to understand your unique situation. Here are some of the most common treatments used for mouth pain.
A dental procedure may cost you more than you planned. Schedule regular dental check-ups throughout the year to prevent paying for expensive dental treatments like cavity fillings and root canals.
Over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen, Advil, or Tylenol can temporarily relieve your mouth pain if you’re experiencing mild pain or inflammation. Always take these on a full stomach to prevent an upset stomach.
Salt water rinses are great for minor mouth pains like canker sores. Mix one teaspoon of salt in ½ cups of water and swish it inside your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out. This home remedy can stop bacterial growth and reduce plaque and inflammation.
If you have excessive swelling in your gums or difficult-to-manage pain, apply ice to the affected area to provide temporary relief. Use it for short periods of time, around 10-15 minutes.
Certain mouth pain, like dry mouth, can be due to dehydration. Try increasing the amount of fluids you drink, mostly water, for better dental and overall health.
When it comes to preventing mouth pains caused by cavities, it’s important to keep up with your oral hygiene. Be sure to brush and floss your teeth gently at least twice a day.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about mouth pain causes and treatments.
Pain is your body's response to telling you there is something wrong. It could be minor, such as a canker sore or as extreme as gum disease. Since there are so many different causes of mouth pain, it is best to have this checked out by a dentist.
Also known as canker sores, they will typically heal on their own. Here are some ways to quickly speed up the process:
- Salt water rinse
- Yogurt
- Honey
- Coconut oil
- Hydrogen peroxide (Dilute a 3 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide with equal parts water)
- Over-the-counter products
You can take over-the-counter medicines and at-home remedies to ease mouth pain, but if you have continuous severe pain that keeps coming back, be sure to follow up with your doctor or dentist.
We know that mouth pain is not only physically bothersome but financially a burden for many. While some mouth pain can go away with simple home remedies, others may need more medical attention.
Maybe you’re worried about how much cavity fillings or other dental procedures will cost without insurance. We understand dental treatments are not cheap, but it's best to check with your insurance provider to confirm your coverage.
