RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of oral ulceration is always challenging and has been the source of difficulty because of the remarkable overlap in their clinical presentations. AIM: The objective of this review article is to provide updated knowledge and systemic approach regarding oral ulcers diagnosis depending upon clinical picture while excluding the other causative causes. METHODS: For this, specialised databases and search engines involving Science Direct, Medline Plus, Scopus, PubMed and authentic textbooks were used to search topics related to the keywords such as oral ulcer, oral infections, vesiculobullous lesion, traumatic ulcer, systematic disease and stomatitis. Associated articles published from 1995 to 2019 in both dental and medical journals including the case reports, case series, original articles and reviews were considered. RESULTS: The compilation of the significant data reveals that ulcers can be classified according to (i) duration of onset, (ii) number of ulcers and (iii) etiological factors. Causation of oral ulcers varies from slight trauma to underlying systemic diseases and malignancies. CONCLUSION: Oral manifestations must be acknowledged for precise diagnosis and appropriate treatment.