Mouth ulcers are small sores that form on your gums, lips, tongue, inner cheeks or roof of your mouth. Lots of different things can cause them, including minor injuries, hormonal changes and emotional stress. Many mouth ulcers go away on their own. Others may require treatment.

What is a mouth ulcer?

A mouth ulcer is a sore that appears anywhere inside your mouth. These sores are usually red, yellow or white, and you might have one or several.

You can get mouth ulcers on your:

• Gums.
• Tongue.
• Roof of mouth (palate).
• Inner cheeks.
• Inner lips.

These sores are often painful and can make eating, drinking and speaking uncomfortable.

Mouth ulcers can be alarming. However, they’re not a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and you can’t get or spread them from kissing or sharing food and drinks. Aside from any pain and discomfort, mouth ulcers are usually harmless and go away on their own in a week or two. But some types of mouth sores could point to underlying health conditions like viruses, autoimmune diseases or gastrointestinal issues.