Wounds and Injuries—Mouth Disorders

Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. 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. Keeping a clean mouth by brushing and flossing often is important.

• Burning Mouth Syndrome – NIH (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) – PDF
• Drooling (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Gum biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Herpangina (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Leukoplakia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lichen planus (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mouth sores (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mouth ulcers (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mucous cyst (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Perioral dermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Thrush (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Traumatic injuries

An injury is damage to your body. It is a general term that refers to harm caused by accidents, falls, hits, weapons, and more. In the U.S., millions of people injure themselves every year. These injuries range from minor to life-threatening. Injuries can happen at work or play, indoors or outdoors, driving a car, or walking across the street.

Wounds are injuries that break the skin or other body tissues. They include cuts, scrapes, scratches, and punctured skin. They often happen because of an accident, but surgery, sutures, and stitches also cause wounds. Minor wounds usually aren’t serious, but it is important to clean them. Serious and infected wounds may require first aid followed by a visit to your doctor. You should also seek attention if the wound is deep, you cannot close it yourself, you cannot stop the bleeding or get the dirt out, or it does not heal.

Other common types of injuries include

• Animal bites
• Bruises
• Burns
• Dislocations
• Electrical injuries
• Fractures
• Sprains and strains

• Bleeding (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Crush injury (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cuts and puncture wounds (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Electrical injury (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Gunshot wounds — aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia)
• How wounds heal (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Laceration – sutures or staples – at home (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lacerations – liquid bandage (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Surgical wound care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Surgical wound infection – treatment (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Wet to dry dressing changes (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Wound care centers (Medical Encyclopedia)