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ePaper created 2016-07-29, 16:53:04 | version 1.38.0
10 laser 2 2016 Recurrent aphthous stomatitis A case presentation with 915nm diode laser therapy Author: Dr Foteini Papanastasopoulou, Greece Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the mostcommonoraldiseasesanditischaracterisedby round ulcers surrounded by an erythematous halo. The lesions are usually painful due to the exposed nerve endings in the underlying lamina propria and the pain can range from mild to severe, affecting the patient’severydaylife.RAShasthreeclinicalpresen- tations: aphthous minor, aphthous major and her- petiform ulcers. The cause of RAS is unknown, al- though several factors are suspected. These include stress, hormonal changes, genetics, diet, nutritional deficiencies, immunological and systemic disorders (such as Behçet’s syndrome, Reiter’s syndrome, and gastrointestinal malabsorption disorders). The treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis is symptomatic. Accurate diagnosis of the cause of the disease and a treatment plan that is tailored individ- uallytoeachpatientcanleadtosuccessfulmanage- ment of RAS. The treatment goals are reduction of pain,healingtime,numberandsizeofulcersandpre- vention of the recurrence of the disease. There are several treatment options for the management of recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Antiseptic mouth- washes containing chlorhexidine decrease the num- berofulcersbutdonotpreventtherecurrenceofthe disease.Inaddition,chlorhexidinecanstaintheteeth if it is used frequently. Topical analgesics reduce the pain but cannot be used extensively. Topical and systemic antibiotic treatments are empiric and are used because of a belief that the cause of the disease is an undiscovered infectious agent. Cauterising drugs are used, but they prolong healing time due to their destructive activity. Topical corticosteroids and systemic immunomodulators are commonly used when the immunopathogenesis is the cause of | case report © McIek/Shutterstock.com 22016