Diseases and Disorders of the Mouth

a. Actinomycosis
Infectious disease of horses, cattle, swine, and humans, also called lumpy jaw or big jaw.
It is caused by several species of bacteria of the genus Actinomyces .In humans it is caused mainly by Actinomyces israelii, a component of the normal flora of the mouth and tonsillar crypts.

The bacteria invade decayed teethdiseased tonsilssoft mouth tissues
The disease is characterized chiefly by abscessed, swollen, and lumpy tissues of the jaw.The lungs and intestinal tract may also become infected.It is treated by draining abscessed tissues and by using large doses of penicillin or tetracycline.

b. Canker Sore
Small sore on the inside of the lips or cheeks, or on any other part of the mouth that is coated with mucus.
Usually invisible when the mouth is closed, canker sores are small blisters that rupture and become painful, whitish-yellow ulcers.
Although the sores may develop singly, they usually appear in groups of fewer than five, and they tend to heal in about ten days.
Outbreaks involving more than ten small sores at a time are not unknown, however.
Fever and fatigue may accompany these larger outbreaks, which can take up to three months to heal and result in scarring.
The precise cause of canker sores is unknown, but they often result from oral irritation, injury, or viral infection, and are also associated with acute emotional stress and with various kinds of allergies.
In addition, the sores have been linked to dietary deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid.
Although not caused by bacterial infection, canker sores provide breeding grounds for bacteria that make the sores take longer to heal and cause more pain.
Most people will suffer from canker sores at some time in their lives; men have a lower rate of incidence than women.
Most canker sores heal on their own, and no special treatment will speed the process.
Mild pain-killing and anti-inflammatory ointments and mouthwashes provide some relief for people with recurring canker sores.

c. Cold Sore
Also called fever blister, a small, painful blister on the face, especially around the lips and nose and inside the mouth.
A cold sore first appears as a small red pimple that gradually develops into a small, painful blister full of clear fluid.
When the blister ruptures, it appears yellowish, dry, and crusted.
Cold sores are caused by a herpes simplex virus.
They spread from one individual to another by direct contact between skin surfaces, and they usually erupt in clusters.
Most people infected by the herpes simplex virus contract it before adolescence, but only a small percent of exposed children actually develop symptoms at that time.
When the herpes simplex virus is inactive, it lies dormant in neurons, or nerve cells.
Later, illnesses or emotional upsets can reactivate the virus and trigger the development of cold sores, and affected individuals often suffer from recurring attacks.
Cold sores tend to accompany common colds and infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and diphtheria, that are characterized by fever.
The cold sore infection itself can raise body temperature above normal and account for swelling in the lymph nodes of the neck.
Cold sores usually last from ten days to two weeks, and no preventive measures are known, although complications caused by the bacterial infections that often accompany cold sores can be controlled by antibiotic ointments.
The antiviral ointments known as vidarabine and acyclovir may also be prescribed to relieve the pain of cold sores.