The eruption of the primary teeth usually begins around 4-8 months of age with the eruption of the lower incisors and is complete at around 30-36 months of age when the second primary molars erupt.
Teething pain is the most common symptom associated with the eruption of the primary dentition. Local pain may be further exacerbated by rubbing or scratching the gingival tissues, by biting into hard objects, or by the presence of pathology such as eruption cysts.^2,3

Cold Sores and fever blisters are viral infections caused by the Herpes simplex virus type ¹. Fever blisters can be triggered by a cold or fever, sun exposure, emotional distress, menstruation, dental surgery and minor trauma to the affected area. A sore or blister will typically take a few days to break (4 to 5 days) and will normally heal in 7 to 10 days without scarring. It will be contagious to others as long as it is visible, and occasionally even beyond. Touching the infected area may result in infection elsewhere, and the virus can be passed to others.⁴

Oral pain is usually characterised by the inflammation of the oral mucosa, due to local or general factors, which may involve the mucosa of the mouth and lips, palate, tongue, floor of the mouth and the gums. One of the most common reasons for oral pain is mouth ulceration. These ulcers are accompanied by painful symptoms and are generally characterised by shallow oval lesions, surrounded by a reddened halo. Mouth ulcers manifest as acute (duration of up to 3 weeks), chronic (more than 3 weeks), or recurrent lesions.^5,6

This is a common disorder, which affects denture wearers and is characterized by inflammation and redness of the oral mucosal areas covered by the denture. Causative factors include poor denture hygiene, continual and night time wearing of removable dentures, accumulation of denture plaque, and bacterial and yeast contamination of denture surface. In addition, poor-fitting dentures can increase mucosal trauma.⁷

Pain in the mouth cavity can originate from teeth, gums and the mucosal membrane. Pain can be caused by mechanical, thermal or chemical events. We perceive pain when pain impulses travel over nerve fibres, through the spinal cord to the brain (or central nervous system).⁸