Question:
Hi,

I had what I thought was a canker sore, but then I read that you can have herpes IN your mouth....I've been with the same parnter nine months, he's never had a cold sore and neither have I (touch wood).

I have gotten cankers, however since I was a kid...

So how do you differentiate between a nornal canker sore and herpes in the mouth?

My current canker is on the upper side of my mouth, on the outside, right where the gums meet the cheek...it's far back, so I can't see it, but when I feel it it seems to be about 1/4 inch in diametre...I asked a doctor and he said that all cankers are contagious...he also had one hell of a time finding the canker and brushed off my concerns.....

So....how do you know if it's herpes or just a canker?

Should I be concerned? I don't have a cluster of blisters or anything, and this started normal cankers....but all the info online saying that it can be herpes...it's scary...

So do I avoid kissing my partner or giving him head when I see him on the weekend? Or is it just a canker?

Answer:
If the Doc looked and said no...

If you are that concerned - go back to the Doc and ask that it be swabbed.

Answer:
Went to the dentist today.

He looked and said that it doesn't look like herpes. It actually looks like injury/irritation caused by sharp foods like chips....which I ate a lot of last week. (College exam time--living off chips and soda)

He said that I shouldn't worry about it, to just gargle with salt water and that kissing my boyfriend is fine, since cankers (and certainly not cuts from chips)
are not contagious.

He said if I get a cold sore, then yeah, that's herpes, but that herpes VERY RARELY is seen in the mouth and that what I had didn't look anything like it.

So...phew!

The bad news? Wisdom teeth. I have them. Looks like I'll have to get them out.

But I'd rather have teeth pulled then a virus! :)

Answer:
Good for you -

But beware - I'd rather have an outbreak than my wisdom teeth out agoin... seriously.

Answer:
Eek! Wisdom teeth getting pulled hurts that much??? Even with the drugs they give you?

Damn. Oh well...they have to come out...they're "impacted" whatever that means...