Canker sores

Help! I Been getting Canker sores on and off for years since i was a kid,now 24 still getting them.

where do they come from? is they anyway of lowering the rish of getting them?
is this a problem i tal kto my denist or normal doctor about?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Are they canker sores or cold sores?   Where do they appear in your mouth?  How often do you get them, how many and how long do they last?  Canker sores (also called aphthous ulcers) are normal once in awhile but if they are frequent or large in size, it may indicate a problem.  Cold sores is actually a viral infection (herpes) and can appear once in awhile.  If its frequent, it can be managed slightly with anti-viral medication.  You can probably go to the dentist or your regular physician about it.

[xthisxisforever]

Hi Jerome,
am not sure what they are. they appear in my mouth,normally on my bottom lip area. i normally get them 1 or 2 times a month. they normally are pretty large in size. right now i have three on the bottom of my lip,making it impossible to do everyday task.  my dentist has seen them before but never really says too much about them but put cream on them before doing work..my live in boyfriend think it from having dirty stuff in my mouth,he says when im sleeping i tend to suck on my tumb and he thinks that the reason.
thanks for your help

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

I haven't heard of thumbsucking as a cause of it.  Is it on the bottom lip on the outside or the bottom lip on the inside?  How large is large in size?  

[xthisxisforever]

it is on the inside of my lip,i would say they are normally at least the size of a dime. i had my last 3 for over a week. i was clear for a few days and one is forming again in the same area.

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Sounds like its a canker sore (apthous ulcer).  I would go to your dentist or regular primary care doctor to get it checked out.  Sometimes these sores occur due to another contributing factor such as immune deficiency or malnutrition, etc.