On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. It has many different functions. It allows you to:

• Take in food and drink
• Breathe in air
• Start digestion, with your teeth chewing the food you eat and your salivary glands releasing saliva to help break down the food
• Speak and sing
• Show emotion, by smiling or pouting

Any problem that affects your mouth can make it hard to eat, drink, or even smile. Some common mouth problems include:

• Cold sores - painful sores on the lips and around the mouth, caused by a virus
• Canker sores - painful sores in the mouth, caused by bacteria or viruses
• Thrush - a yeast infection that causes white patches in your mouth
• Leukoplakia - white patches of excess cell growth on the cheeks, gums or tongue, common in smokers
• Dry mouth - a lack of enough saliva, caused by some medicines and certain diseases
• Gum or tooth problems
• Bad breath

Treatment for mouth disorders varies, depending on the problem. If a mouth problem is caused by some other disease, treating that disease can help. It is also important to keep your mouth clean and healthy by brushing, flossing, and not using tobacco.

Start Here

• Mouth Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Mouth Problems in Infants and Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Mouth Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Mouth Dryness or Thick Saliva (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Facial Hemiatrophy (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center) Also in Spanish
• HIV/AIDS & Oral Health (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish
• Mouth Sores Caused by Cancer Treatment: How to Cope (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Oromandibular Dystonia (Dystonia Medical Research Foundation)
• Spit Happens: The Surprising Importance of Saliva (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Burning Mouth Syndrome (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish
• Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)
• Mouth Growths (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Oral Hypersensitivity Reactions (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons)
• Oral Lichen Planus (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Oral Thrush (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• White sponge nevus: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

• Actinic Cheilitis (VisualDX)
• Angular Cheilitis (Perleche) (VisualDX)
• Chapped Lips (Cheilitis) (VisualDX)
• Fordyce Spots (VisualDX)
• Oral Melanotic Macule (VisualDX)
• Oral Mucocele (VisualDX)
• Pemphigus Vulgaris (VisualDX)
• Perioral Dermatitis (VisualDX)
• Thrush (Oral Candidiasis) (VisualDX)
• Thrush (Oral Candidiasis) in Adults (VisualDX)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Mouth Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Stomatitis, Aphthous (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and associated risk factors in a...
• Article: Viral Invasion of the Oral Cavity: A Review of Viral Impact...
• Article: Perceptions on causes and effects of common oral diseases among HIV-positive...
• Mouth Disorders -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Mouth and Teeth (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• Find an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist) (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
• Find an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons)
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Also in Spanish
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Children

• Mouth Problems in Infants and Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Oral Thrush (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Drooling (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gum biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Herpangina (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Leukoplakia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Lichen planus (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mouth sores (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mouth ulcers (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Oral mucous cyst (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Perioral dermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Thrush - children and adults (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish