Anyone else have problems with canker sores?

Question

I seem to develop canker sores every four to six months or so in the bottom of my lips, between my lips and my teeth, and it's a pain. Anything I could do about it?

Answer 1

What steps can be taken to help canker sores?

If you have canker sores, avoid abrasive foods such as potato chips that can stick in the cheek or gum and aggravate the sores. Take care when brushing your teeth not to stab the gums or cheek with a toothbrush bristle. Avoid acidic and spicy foods. Canker sores are not contagious, so patients do not have to worry about spreading them to other people.

What is the treatment for canker sores?

The treatment depends on the cause. If the cause is another illness, such as lupus, treating the underlying illness often results in healing the ulcers. In some cases, something as simple as changing toothpastes may get rid of recurrent canker sores. A toothpaste free of sodium lauryl sulfate and other ingredients that are irritating to the tissues inside the mouth can be helpful, as can a toothpaste that inhibits the growth of irritating plaque.

There are several treatments for reducing the pain and duration of canker sores for patients whose outbreaks cannot be prevented. These include numbing ointments such as benzocaine, which are available in drug stores without a prescription. Anti-inflammatory steroid mouth rinses or gels can be prescribed for patients with severe sores. (See additional information below on steroid use.) A number of medications have been used for canker sores including diphenhydramine suspension (Benadryl and others). This liquid medication can be used as a mouth rinse in adults to provide temporary relief from the pain caused by canker sores. Patients should not swallow the diphenhydramine, but simply use it as a mouth rinse.

Mouth rinses containing the antibiotic tetracycline may reduce the unpleasant symptoms of canker sores and speed healing by preventing bacterial infections in the sores. Clinical studies at the National Institute of Dental Research have shown that rinsing the mouth with tetracycline several times a day usually relieves pain in 24 hours and allows complete healing in 5 to 7 days. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns, however, that tetracycline given to pregnant women and young children can permanently stain the children's teeth. Both steroid and tetracycline treatments require a prescription and care of a dentist or physician.

There are other topical medications that a healthcare practitioner can prescribe to ease the discomfort. Medications such as steroids (triamcinolone) or antibiotics (tetracycline) used topically on the ulcers sometimes promote healing. There is no evidence that antibiotics taken orally (swallowed) are helpful. If the canker sores are caused by a yeast infection, a topical anti-fungal medication can be used (nystatin). Some people with AIDS (HIV infection) who have canker sores respond well to thalidomide.

Patients with severe recurrent canker sores may need to take steroid or other immuno-suppressant drugs orally. Steroid mouth rinses have been shown to reduce the inflammation and number of recurrences and are reserved for more severe cases due to potential side effects. These potent drugs can cause many undesirable side effects, and should be used only under the close supervision of a dentist or physician.

What should I do if I get canker sores frequently?

Contact your healthcare professional. Most cases of canker sores do not reflect an underlying illness. However, if you are having canker sores frequently, your health care professional can check some very simple things to assure you there isn't a serious underlying cause. Most doctors recommend that patients who have frequent bouts of canker sores undergo blood and allergy tests to determine if their sores are caused by a nutritional deficiency, an allergy, or some other preventable cause. Vitamins and other nutritional supplements often prevent recurrences or reduce the severity of canker sores in patients with a nutritional deficiency. Patients with food allergies can reduce the frequency of canker sores by avoiding those foods.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

I used to get them very bad when I was about 13. I would get like 8 at a time and I know how bad they hurt. You can try getting some orajel numbing stuff from walmart for the pain. Other than that wash you mouth out with Listerine everyday. They should go away in about 7-10 days.

Answer 4

May be caused by stress related vitamin or mineral deficiencies
Take a good multivitamin (centrum or one-source)
chek for anemia - iron deficiency may play a role
Rinse with Peroxyl mouth rinse
Dissolve 1 or 2 DGL tablets (deglycerrinated Licorice) in your mouth 3 or 4 times a day.
Practice good oral hygiene, i.e. brush & floss daily

Answer 5

You are gonna be soooo happy with this answer!

I just went to the doctor about this and he gave me a prescription for Stanford mouthwash with carafate. It is a anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti imflammatory, anti-bacterial and the carafate is an ulcer medicine. I take a teaspoon of it and add some water to it and swish it in my mouth as often as I need it. Your doctor might also want to prescribe something for you that is for herpes, dont freak out--they just recently approved anti-viral medicines to treat cankersores, give it a try.
If you want to try non prescription stuff, orabase works good, bee propolis tincture works good, baking soda helps to make the acidity down and they make something called cankermelts that have licorice in them and you can get stash brand(licorice tea) at walmart, You can take a q tip and clean them with peroxide and avoid toothpaste that has laural sulfate in it. Biotene toothpaste is one of the good ones. Good luck with this and let me tell you, it is worth it to go to the doctor about this if you know what to ask for. Don't let him tell you to mix benedryl with maalox and thats it. I wish I would have known all of this stuff a long time ago.It would have saved me years of suffering, I always have 3 to 5 cankersores in my mouth all the time because anything abrasive rips up my mouth. Sorry for such a long answer--hope it gets me 10 points though :0) Good luck. DO NOT PUT SALT ON YOUR CANKERSORES! IT DOESN'T WORK! Gargling with warm salt water may be healing but putting salt and alum and burning things on your cankersore will just torture you more.

Answer 6

You might try L-lysine, I think it is supposed to reduce the acid in your system that causes those painful things. Also, benzodent and another one that starts with a Z, those are two GREAT painkillers for canker sores. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Just drink and eat things which don't bother you too much. Perhaps you should consult your doctor or whatever type of healer you use to see if you have some chronic problem.

Answer 8

Yep, I get them all the time, especially when I'm stressed out. Try using Orajel. You can get it at any pharamcy kinda store ( CVS,Walgreens, Duane Reade, Wal Mart etc). I hope that helps = ) .

Answer 9

yep there is i'm67 so it's been around a long time it hurts but it works it stings lick your index finger so it's damp then pour some salt in a little pile and dip your finger in it and pull your lip down and rub it in hurts but works spit out the salt in your mouth don't swallow it when the stinging stops it should be gone in about 48 + hours good luck

Answer 10

I get them when I eat a lot of starchy foods like fries etc...to get rid of them I put salt on them it burns but works.