National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC)

Mouth ulcers

What causes them?	Chemotherapy Other unknown reasons
How to treat	Treatment with painkillers such as soluble paracetamol Treatment with a pain-relieving (analgesic) gel Treatment of thrush or other mouth or throat infections

Tips to help relieve mouth ulcers

The following tips are based on the experience of health professionals and women themselves:

brush your teeth and gums with a very soft brush after every meal to prevent infection
use an analgesic gel from the chemist or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) mouthwash to help relieve discomfort
you might need to take pain relief such as paracetamol.

Some mouthwashes can make ulcers worse – advice should be sought from a health professional before using a mouth wash.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 September 2009 12:16