Until a certain time, stomatitis was considered a disease characteristic of children. Recently, however, adults are increasingly suffering from it. It is believed that the cause of the appearance of wounds on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, as well as on the inside of the lips and cheeks, is the immune response to the pathogen. There are a number of factors contributing to the development of stomatitis. The disease causes great discomfort to adults, but it is especially difficult for children to tolerate. In our article, we will talk about what stomatitis is and which doctor to contact for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. In addition, we dwell on folk methods of getting rid of this ailment.
What is stomatitis?
This disease is associated with the inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the mouth, covering the inside of the lip, tongue, gums, palate. According to some reports, stomatitis affects about one in five people worldwide. Depending on the pathogen, several types of this disease are distinguished. The appearance of ulcers and vesicles on the mucous membranes of the mouth is a reaction of the body to a foreign stimulus.
Stomatitis is often called a childhood illness. Most often, babies aged one to three years old come across it. But many adults know about this disease firsthand. In any case, it will not be superfluous to find out what stomatitis is and which doctor to contact if erosion or ulcers are found in the mouth.
Types of disease
Depending on the irritant or pathogen, different forms of stomatitis are distinguished:
- Enterovirus. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. Its causative agent is enterovirus infection. If untreated, the transparent blisters from the oral mucosa pass to the skin.
- Aphthous. The appearance of this disease is often associated with an allergy to food or drugs. With aphthous stomatitis, white vesicles with a transparent edging appear on the inner surface of the lips, gums and cheeks. They hurt and cause a lot of inconvenience to a person.
- Catarrhal. This disease is accompanied by swelling of the mucous membranes and the appearance of a characteristic plaque on them. This is the most common form of stomatitis.
- Herpes. It develops in the presence of the herpes virus in the body. It appears in the form of transparent small rashes, which gradually begin to burst, forming ulcerative erosion.
- Candidiasis. The causative agent of the disease is Candida. It is accompanied by the formation of a white curdled plaque in the language, under which painful ulcers are hidden. This type of stomatitis is often called thrush. The disease is characteristic of young children.
- Stomatitis of the anular type. The disease is accompanied by the formation of vesicles and cracks in the corners of the lips, which burst and begin to bleed. Sometimes they are covered on top with a grayish coating.
To prescribe the correct and timely treatment, you need to know which doctor to contact with stomatitis. Self-medication in most cases can lead to a worsening of the patient's condition. Only a specialist will be able to correctly diagnose the causes of the disease and choose an effective treatment.
Causes of stomatitis
Depending on the form of the disease, its pathogen may be various fungi or bacteria. But, regardless of this, there are a number of concomitant factors that can lead to the appearance of stomatitis:
- eating unwashed vegetables and fruits;
- non-compliance with the rules of oral hygiene or its complete absence;
- mechanical damage to the mucous membranes of the mouth, biting the tongue or cheek with food;
- alcohol abuse, smoking;
- eating too spicy or salty foods that irritate the mucous membranes;
- the impact of poor ecology;
- hormonal changes during pregnancy.
One of the reasons for the development of aphthous stomatitis is an allergy to food or medicine. But in order to diagnose the disease, you need to know which doctor to contact. Aphthous stomatitis causes a lot of inconvenience to adults, and in children it is often accompanied by fever.
Symptoms of the disease
One of the characteristic features of stomatitis is its rapid spread. In just a few hours, a slight redness on the mucous membranes turns into a painful wound, causing pain and discomfort when brushing your teeth and during meals. Regardless of the form of the disease, the following symptoms are characteristic of it:
- gum redness;
- education on the affected areas of white plaque;
- pain in the mouth.
Incorrect treatment or its absence leads to the progression of the disease. Small vesicles gradually spread throughout the oral mucosa, forming deep ulcers. Therefore, it is important to know which doctor to go with stomatitis to prevent the development of the disease and get rid of discomfort. The disease is especially acute in children.
Which doctor should an adult consult with stomatitis?
If you neglect the treatment of the disease, it can go into a chronic form. And since each type of stomatitis is caused by different pathogens, for its successful treatment it is first necessary to identify the nature of the disease. So which doctor should you contact for stomatitis? A dentist is involved in the diagnosis of this infectious and inflammatory disease of the oral cavity. It is when identifying the first signs of stomatitis in an adult that you should immediately contact this specialist. If the symptoms are atypical, then additional consultation with the therapist will be useful.
Stomatitis in a child - which doctor should I contact?
The dentist is involved in the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the oral cavity in children, as well as in adults. Stomatitis often appears in babies after a year when they actively pull foreign objects into their mouths, or in newborn babies - as a reaction of the internal microflora to extraneous irritants. In the latter case, we are talking about the candidal form of the disease or the so-called thrush. It will be useful for each mother to know which doctor to treat stomatitis with thrush. This specialist is a pediatrician. It is he who will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate drugs.
Traditional treatment
For successful therapy, it is necessary to correctly determine the nature of the causative agent of the disease. Regardless of which doctor treats stomatitis in the mouth, a dentist or pediatrician prescribes appropriate antifungal or antiviral drugs as well as antibiotics for the patient.
In addition to the above medications, antiseptics and disinfectants are mandatory therapies. These are rinses, compresses and local ointments. The most effective of them are Kamistad, Solcoseryl, Chrysal, Hexoral, Chlorophyllipt.
In the treatment of stomatitis in children, decoctions of herbs (chamomile, sage, calendula, oak bark) are often used. With various forms of the disease, a drug such as Stomatidin has proven its effectiveness. It is important to strictly follow all the doctor’s instructions so as not to harm the children's body.
Alternative methods of treating stomatitis
Most adults in search of various methods of getting rid of the disease turn to folk remedies. But far from always they can be effective. First you need to determine the nature of the disease. So, if stomatitis is caused by mechanical damage to the mucosa, you can use decoctions of various medicinal herbs (chamomile, oak bark, sage, etc.). However, with other forms of the disease, the use of these same funds will be ineffective.
If stomatitis was caused by various infections, traditional medicine in this case will be ineffective and even dangerous. You can only alleviate the condition of the patient by rinsing the oral cavity with a solution of salt, soda and iodine. But to cure infectious stomatitis without antibiotics is unlikely to succeed.
If you ignore the symptoms of the disease, complications such as damage to the gums and teeth, up to their loss, the growth of bacteria and exacerbation of the disease with the spread of ulcers throughout the mucosa, can occur.
The use of laser technology
Using modern technology, stomatitis can be cured much faster than traditional and folk remedies. The main advantage of using a laser is that the treatment is completely painless. At the same time, the adjacent layers of the mucosa, to which the disease has not yet spread, remain intact. When treating wounds and ulcers with a laser, they are simultaneously disinfected, as a result of which infection does not penetrate deep into the focus. This treatment method has no contraindications.
The only drawback of laser technology is the high cost of the procedure.
Disease prevention
The following measures will significantly reduce the risk of stomatitis:
- compliance with the rules of personal hygiene for the care of the oral cavity;
- balanced nutrition with all the necessary vitamins;
- eating only fresh vegetables and fruits;
- strengthening immunity;
- giving up such bad habits, such as smoking and drinking;
- field trips, daily walks in the fresh air;
- thorough processing of baby bottles, pacifiers, toys;
- timely treatment of caries and other diseases of the teeth and gums.
Stomatitis is often called "dirty hands disease." It is imperative to ensure that children wash their hands before eating and do not eat dirty vegetables and fruits. Each mother should know in advance which doctor to go with stomatitis in order to start treating the disease in time and prevent negative consequences.