Worried about mouth sores that won’t heal - should I be concerned?

That’s exactly what happened to me when I was in high school - my braces gave me nonstop mouth sores, especially on my cheeks. Salt water rinses helped, but sometimes it felt like nothing made them heal faster, and I’d get paranoid if they stuck around more than a week or two. I didn’t realize stress could make them worse until my dentist mentioned it, which honestly blew my mind.

One thing I noticed: certain toothpastes with SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) made my ulcers worse, so switching brands actually helped a bit. I guess it’s not just injuries or braces, but also stuff like toothpaste ingredients or even spicy foods that can drag out healing.

If the sore’s not shrinking or starts looking weird (like white patches or raised edges), I’d definitely want a pro to check it. Most of the time it’s nothing, but I get why you’d be worried - mouth stuff always feels more dramatic than it probably is.

I totally get what you mean about mouth stuff feeling dramatic - it’s like, you notice every tiny change and it’s hard not to spiral a bit. But honestly, I’m not sure I’d be as relaxed about letting a sore hang out for more than a week or two, even if it doesn’t look “weird.” I know you said:

If the sore’s not shrinking or starts looking weird (like white patches or raised edges), I’d definitely want a pro to check it. Most of the time it’s nothing, but I get why you’d be worried - mouth stuff always feels more dramatic than it probably is.

But for me, just the fact that it won’t go away makes me super anxious. I had a tiny spot on my gum last month that didn’t hurt much, but after ten days I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Ended up getting it checked - turns out it was nothing serious, but the peace of mind was worth it. Maybe I’m just extra cautious, but I’d rather feel silly for going in than risk ignoring something important.

Plus, my dentist said sometimes even “normal” looking sores can be stubborn for reasons you wouldn’t expect (like vitamin deficiencies or even allergies). Just my two cents, but if you’re worried, you’re not overreacting.