Gingivostomatitis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Gingivitis

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Gingivostomatitis

Symptoms:

sores on the inside of the cheeks or on the gingiva (gums)
a fever
general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
a very sore mouth with no desire to eat
bad breath

Signs and tests:

An examination of the mouth shows small ulcers. These ulcers are similar to mouth ulcers caused by other conditions. An underlying infection may be suspected if you have a cough, fever, muscle aches, or other signs.

Normally, no special tests are required for the diagnosis of gingivostomatitis. However, the following tests may be done in some cases:

A culture of material obtained from the surface of the sore may indicate a viral infection.
A biopsy may occasionally be used to distinguish gingivostomatitis from other types of mouth ulcers.

Review Date: 4/11/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Fung, MD, FRCS(C), Department of Otolaryngology, Division of Head and Neck Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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