Cracks in the Corners of the Mouth: Are They Serious?
Are you wondering why the corners of your mouth keep cracking? You could be suffering from a common condition known as angular cheilitis or perleche. The word perleche is French and means to lick because it is common for people to lick the irritated areas of their mouths. Angular cheilitis stands for chiel indicating the lip, and it stands for inflammation.
Young children who drool when sleeping are the common sufferers of perleche apart from young adults with braces and their older counterparts who may have developed wrinkles on the skin besides deep lines in the corners of their mouths. Perleche can worsen during the winter when the cooler weather and dry air tends to shrivel out the skin of the lips. This condition is a result of lips being licked often.
The constant licking of the mouth cracks and corner lips can cause an infection, which is commonly a type of yeast known as candida Albicans. The reasons for this infection can also include dentures that haven’t been cleaned frequently, missing teeth that cause facial changes and additional skin wrinkling, and conditions of the health like iron deficiency, diabetes, cancer, and Vitamin B deficiency.
How Do You Deal with Cracked Corners of Your Mouth?
The condition of the perleche can be treated in different ways. Antifungal medications are needed to combat a chronic yeast infection, which is a variety of fungus. Chapped lips and cracked corners may be treated topically with ointments by applying it to the cracked areas. Oral medications in the form of a lozenge may be provided to dissolve in your mouth and swallow to ensure the medication treats both the surface of the mouth and the entire body. To assist in reducing inflammation and helping to repair the skin, the antifungal medications may be combined with other medications as well.
If perleche candida is related to a concerning underlying condition such as improperly fitting dentures, systemic health conditions, or missing teeth, treatments must be provided to prevent the condition from recurring. Dentists can perform a dental assessment to evaluate the health of your teeth, lip, and gums to determine whether the cause of your condition is a result of vitamin deficiency mouth corner cracks. The dentist in Covington, GA, can provide angular cheilitis medication and may also refer you to a dermatologist to understand if other treatments can improve or rejuvenate the appearance and quality of your facial skin.
When trying to evaluate your condition, you need to visit an angular cheilitis dentist to understand the reasons for mouth cracks corner lips. He or she will evaluate whether the cracked corner lips are a result of vitamin deficiency before offering angular cheilitis medication to treat the condition. You may also be offered cheilitis vitamin B to supplement any other treatments that are also offered.
Contact us right away to schedule an appointment to discuss any questions you have about the cracks in the corners of your mouth. You can also learn more by reading the article, and the dear Doctor magazine “cracked corners of the mouth.”