Maxfacts

Oral mucosal lesions

It is unrealistic to give a timeline on the course of events for those with oral mucosal lesions as the range of treatments and interventions are so large.

The vast majority of benign acute oral mucosal lesions such as aphthous ulcers and the variants thereof, heal spontaneously within 7 to 10 days. During this time, they can be quite painful and require symptomatic treatment. Oral mucosal lesions which are hyperplastic in nature and require minor surgery are often largely asymptomatic and are being removed for diagnosis and it is the surgery which creates symptoms.

Generally drinking alcohol and smoking delays healing following treatment of these lesions by months or weeks, depending on the degree of intervention and type (if any) of treatment.

Chronic oral mucosal lesions (by their nature) are long lasting and may not respond fully to treatment. These lesions, an example would be reticular pattern oral lichen planus, will wax and wane probably over a lifetime.

Oral mucosal lesions related to infections tend to respond to the appropriate anti-infective agent along the lines typical for those of other infections

Those related to interventions such as radiation mucositis , are obviously related to the duration of the intervention although in the case of therapeutic radiation the acute effects gradually diminish over a 3 month period.

Those related to systemic disease are mirrored by the impact of treatment on the relevant systemic disease.