a comparison of the effect of the triamcinolone and mouthwash with or without zinc on the healing process of aphthous stomatitis lesions

background and aims: recurrent aphthous stomatitis (ras) is one of the most common ulcerative diseases of the oral mucosa. definitive etiology of ras has not been conclusively established. there is no certain treatment for aphthous but some drugs such as steroid are commonly used for treatment of ras. regarding the effect of zinc on healing process of epithelial layer and cell division, in this research the effect of the triamcinolone in orabase, in combination with zinc containing mouthwash and triamcinolone alone on the healing process of ras lesions is assessed. materials and methods: the present study consisted of 20 randomly selected patients with major ras which was diagnosed in oral medicine department of tabriz dental faculty. the patients were instructed to rinse the mouthwash or placebo three times a day, for one month. the largest dimension of the ulcer was measured by digital caliper and the intensity of pain was assessed by vas. number, size, duration, ulcer free period and pain of the lesions were evaluated 2 times a week for 2 months. data were analyzed by spss with t- test and mann whitney methods. results: a decrease was seen in the mean of pain (p= 0.631 ) and the size of the lesions but it was not statistically significant ( p=0.739 ). also the difference between the number of lesions ( p=0.739 ), duration and ulcer free period( p= 0.873 ) were not statistically significant. conclusion: it seems that zinc mouthwash compared with typical treatment for ras has similar efficacy on wound healing.