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Answer
: Hello
Melissa. While the upper face, including the eye and the
forehead, is the second most common location for
shingles (herpes zoster) on the body, 6% and 3% of
patients, respectively, will develop shingles affecting
the middle and lower areas of the face. Shingles inside
the mouth is rare and typically begins with pain or
other unexpected sensations affecting the upper palate
and teeth, or the lower gums, chin, and/or tongue. In
most patients with shingles, lesions (sores) will appear
within a week of the beginning of pain. In almost all
patients, these lesions will be found on mostly one side
of the mouth or face. Some patients, in whom shingles
has affected the glossopharyngeal nerve that carries
sensation from the throat, can have hoarseness and
difficulty swallowing with pain due to damage to nerves
that control movement as well as sensation in the
throat. People with these types of lesions inside or
near the mouth should see their dentist or doctor to
find out if they have shingles or other more common
ailments, such as stomatitis or oral thrush (caused by a
yeast infection), or trigeminal neuralgia.
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