Stomatitis (sto-muh-TY-tis) is an inflammation of the mouth.
More to Know
Stomatitis often causes painful blisters in the mouth or on the lips. Sometimes
the lips are just cracked and raw. It is important to treat the pain to enable normal
eating and drinking and prevent dehydration.
Swishing with a warm saltwater rinse (½ teaspoon of salt mixed with 1 cup
of warm water) can ease discomfort from mouth blisters. Try cool foods like ice pops
or warm, bland foods like broth to soothe the mouth. Avoid foods that are spicy, salty,
or acidic (like tomatoes and oranges), which can be irritating, and hard foods, like
pretzels and potato chips, which can scratch the mouth.
In many instances, the cause of stomatitis is unknown. Most cases don't require
special treatment and will heal on their own in 1–3 weeks.
Keep in Mind
Mouth pain from stomatitis can make eating and drinking difficult, so the biggest
associated risk is dehydration. The main goal of treatment is to ease discomfort so
that drinking fluids isn't painful.
All A to Z dictionary entries are regularly reviewed by KidsHealth medical
experts.
