Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. While many people feel most of their symptoms in their digestive tract, some people may experience symptoms elsewhere, including the mouth.

It is common for people with Crohn’s disease to experience several symptoms in the mouth including mouth ulcers. These ulcers are known as canker sores that develop around the base of the gums. These ulcers can be round, small, yellow or gray, appear in groups, have a red ring  around the border, and be painful. These ulcers can also be the first symptom of a flare-up and even continue to get worse throughout the flare-up.

Mouth ulcers from Crohn’s disease can occur due to several reasons including inflammation in the body, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, or from certain medications. Mouth ulcers are also not the only symptom of Crohn’s disease that appears in the mouth. People with Crohn’s may also experience bad breath, bleeding gums, dental decay, dry mouth, inflamed lips, inflamed red tongue, and redness around the lips.

Read more about mouth ulcers and Crohn’s disease.