Background: Oral ulcers are common, self-limiting lesions that cause pain and functional discomfort. Topical gels are frequently prescribed to improve healing and patient comfort; however, patient acceptability and compliance may influence clinical outcomes.

Aim: To evaluate patient acceptability and clinician-observed healing trends associated with metronidazole gel and an oxygenreleasing gel in the management of oral ulcers.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 27 patients with clinically diagnosed oral ulcers managed in routine dental practice. Patients received either metronidazole gel or an oxygen-releasing oral gel as part of standard care. Outcomes assessed descriptively included patient acceptability, compliance, symptom relief, and time to clinical healing.

Results: Complete healing was observed in all cases. Metronidazole gel was associated with modest reductions in healing time but showed reduced patient acceptability due to unpleasant taste in some patients, leading to early discontinuation. The oxygen-releasing gel demonstrated better patient acceptability, improved comfort, and favorable clinical healing trends during follow-up.

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this retrospective observational study, the oxygen-releasing gel demonstrated superior patient acceptability and favorable healing trends compared with metronidazole gel. These findings highlight the importance of patientcentred outcomes in topical oral ulcer management and warrant further prospective studies.