How to treat Mouth Ulcers. Dr J Basrai Cosmetic dentist Essex.

Canker sores are painful, internal mouth sores. Also called aphthous ulcers, they form on the soft parts of the mouth, such as the inside of cheeks and on the tongue. They are different from cold sores which form on the lips or outside the mouth.
Although the true cause of canker sores is unknown, they are NOT caused by the herpes simplex virus and are not contagious.
Those who are afflicted with canker sores know that they are painful and cause restrictions in eating certain foods. Here are a few suggestions to help deal with this condition.

Steps

1. Consume dairy products that contain acidophilus. Acidophilus fights many infections and is naturally produced by our bodies but can be killed off by antibiotics. Lactose intolerant people also do not produce this enzyme. It can be found as a dietary supplement for those who cannot consume dairy, but you should consult with a physician before starting to take any dietary supplements.
   
2. Use "over the counter" medications containing Lidacaine or similar chemical. Oragel or similar products work well. Try Cloraseptic sprays for instant relief. Anbesol (Not "Anusol") also works well to numb the pain. Anbesol and Oragel can be found in the dental section of most pharmacies and grocery stores.
   
3. Fill a small glass with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt to it . Mix together, then swish throughout your whole mouth. Spit out!
   
4. A tried and true concoction of equal parts liquid antacid and antihistamine, applied with a cotton swab works very well, and will rapidly promote healing and pain relief.
   
5. Make a thick paste of 1/2 tsp. baking soda (not baking powder) and a few drops of water and apply a tiny amount directly to the sore. Hold this area away from teeth and gums for 1 or 2 minutes (to keep the area dry). After that, don't eat or drink, or touch the sore with your tongue, for about 10 minutes. Then rinse your mouth with water.
   
6. Buy Lysine vitamins. (Can be found at grocery stores and health stores) Take one every day by swallowing it with a full glass of water. Not only will it heal it but also makes your skin clear too!
   
7. Use brown sugar. An hour or so before bed take a pinch of brown sugar and press it into the sore. Repeat just before going to bed and after you have brushed your teeth for the night. In the morning before leaving the house if there is still any pain apply brown sugar once more. By mid day you shouldn't even notice you have one. Keys to make this work are to let the brown sugar suck the acid out of the sore, thus allowing it to heal.
   
8. Change your toothpaste. Often canker sores are caused or exacerbated by the detergents used in most toothpastes. Outbreaks can be greatly reduced or eliminated by switching to an all natural toothpaste or one for sensitive teeth.
   
9. Use hydrogen peroxide. Placing a small drop on the canker sore before it fully develops can help to alleviate it altogether.
   
10. Use spirit of camphor. This is a very painful but effective option. Go to your local pharmacy and find a bottle of "Spirit of Camphor." Take a cotton swab and dab it inside the camphor, then lightly brush it over your canker sore. It will immediately dry out all the moisture in and around the sore, and will be quite painful. Leave the canker exposed to the air for about 10 seconds after swabbing it before rinsing your mouth. Afterwards, swish out the area with mouthwash. Most of the time the sore will be completely gone after 2 days of this treatment.
    
11. Brush with toothpaste that is not based on sodium laureth sulfate (SLS). The more you brush with an SLS-based toothpaste, the more you may aggravate the Canker sores.
    
    • Research suggests that the use of products that contain a chemical called sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent found in most toothpastes, may be a major cause of canker sores[1]. This chemical can aggravate the cell membranes in your mouth and make you more likely to get an aphthous ulcer. Several studies have reported that participants who brushed using SLS free toothpaste found they experienced a reduction (up to 81%) in the total number of canker sores.
      
    
    
12. Vitamin C, buy any vitamin C pills and eat one every day. When you have a canker sore, eat a vitamin c pill but dont finish it, when there is still a little piece left, put it on the canker sore. do this for a couple of days
    

Tips

• Try using an Alumn paste (Alumn is a pickeling spice that can be bought at a grocery store). Wet a cotton swab and dip the it in the Alumn. Hold the cotton swab to the sore as long as you can stand it. Discard the cotton swab and repeat this process 2 times (3 times total) making sure you do not swallow at any point during the process because the ulcer is now open and you can develop ulcers in your throat and stomach. Rise and spit with salt water for 5 minutes. The sore should heal up in about 2 days.
  
• If the sore is under your tongue, you may put powdered alumn directly on the sore and cover it with a cotton ball. If you do this overnight while you sleep, you can wake to find the sore nearly gone - with little of the nasty taste to deal with.
  
• It may be difficult, but try to avoid biting your cheeks or the inside of your lip. Frequently, trauma such as biting will lead to an aphthous ulcer. Also, keep mental notes when you accidentally bite your mouth to see if you develop a sore there.
  
• Try to determine the cause of your sores. Many people find that certain foods trigger an outbreak. When you first get a sore, try to recall what you ate in the preceding day or two. Many people find that grapes or anything derived from them cause an outbreak for them (consider wine, jelly, juice etc.)
  
• Some people find that with proper dental hygiene, including the use of Listerine or similar mouthwash, can all but eliminate outbreaks.
  
• As with most illnesses, drinking lots of water will help your body to heal itself.
  
• Some people find that the better shape they stay in, the less canker sores they get. In fact, they may go away almost entirely.
  
• Use canker sore medication to numb up the pain it's especially useful when eating
  

Warnings

• Consult with a physician before taking any dietary supplements.
  
• Consult with a physician before using any medications that you have never used before, to be sure you will not have an adverse reaction to them.
  
• Be sure you do not have an allergy to any of the suggested ingredients in a particular remedy before trying it.
  
• Make sure it is a canker sore, and not a cold sore (herpes). Otherwise, the above treatments will be very painful, and will make your sore worse.