Up General Notes Traumatic ulcers may be produced by a variety of means including iatrogenic means. They often occur on the border of the tongue and are noted in most regions of the oral cavity including the palate. The most common cause seen in the dental surgery is from pressure spots on oral mucosa resulting from dentures. The lesion is a non-specific oral ulcer, and commonly develops within a short time of insertion of a new or relined denture.
Ulcers are usually fairly small and painful.
They tend to be covered with a greyish membrane of fibrinous exudate and necrotic cells, and are surrounded by an inflammatory halo. If the lesion is continually irritated, it may become chronic, and the signs of attempted repair will be visible. Generally, the lesion will heal rapidly after removal of the cause. Persistent traumatic ulcers are sometimes mistaken for neoplastic phenomena, especially squamous cell carcinoma. Histopathology will establish the diagnosis in case of doubt.