CHICAGO, Illinois – Students have a high prevalence of canker sores or cold sores yet the sores seemed to appear less frequently after graduation when stress levels are lower, according to a report that appears in the November/December 2003 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal. Canker sores, also known as apthous ulcers, generally occur inside the mouth, are bacterial in nature and are not contagious. Canker sores can be triggered by stress, genetics, trauma, medications, hormones, food allergies or an unrelated medical problem.

Canker sore treatment includes over-the-counter oral anesthetics. A dentist can develop a treatment plan with more serious outbreaks.

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are most often found around the mouth but sometimes occur on the gums or roof of the mouth, are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) and are highly contagious.

"A cold sore progresses through different stages and the infected individual is contagious through the entire process," says James J. Sciubba, DMD, PhD, lead report author.

"If cold sores are caught during the tingling stage, a topical medication can be applied, which will prevent the sore from erupting the majority of the time," says Eric Z. Shapira, DDS, MAGD, AGD spokesperson.

An anti-viral medication can be prescribed in serious cases. Ice cubes can be applied directly to the sores to help relieve the pain.

	Cold Sores	Canker Sores
Cause	Herpes simplex virus I/	Varied
Location	Most often found around the mouth but sometimes occur on the gums or roof of the mouth	Inside the mouth (soft tissue)
Duration	7-14 days	7-14 days
Treatment	Topical creams   Oral anti-viral medications	Over-the-counter anesthetics   In severe cases, topical-based steroids
Is it contagious?	Yes	No
Triggers	Stress   Trauma   Ultraviolet light   Weakened immune system	Stress   Ultraviolet light   Certain foods   Trauma

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