Mouth sores or canker sores are shallow lesions that usually develop on the soft tissue of the mouth. They may develop on the inside part of your lips, cheeks, or at the base of your gums. They can be very painful and can make eating, drinking, or even talking really difficult. Mouth sores are not contagious, so you don’t have to worry about that.

Usually, you will find that the canker sores will typically go away on their own within about a couple of weeks. You must make an appointment with your dentist if you have unusually painful or really large mouth sores that are not healing.

Different types of canker sores

Many canker sores typically round or oval in shape, with a white or yellow centre. They can be found anywhere inside the soft areas of your mouth, cheeks, lips, gums, the soft palate, or even on or under the tongue. Most people come to realise that they have a mouth sore because they feel a burning sensation for a couple of days before the sores actually make an appearance. There are primarily three types of mouth sores.

Minor canker sores – These are the most common type of canker sores that you will find. They are typically small, and oval shaped with a red border. This type of source will also heal on their own normally without leaving any scars. If the small sores don’t heal within 2 weeks, then you may need to make a dental appointment.

Major canker sores – This type of sores are usually much deeper and larger than the minor canker sores. They are pretty large with either defined or irregular edges. They can be quite painful and take more than a month to heal completely. After healing, they can also leave behind a large scar.

Herpetiform canker sores – These type of sores originally quite unusual and typically develop later in life. In spite of the name, these source are not caused by herpes virus. These type of sores are small and of pinpoint size. The typically occur in clusters of up to a hundred sores. They have irregular borders and can heal in about 2 weeks time without extensive scarring.

What causes canker sores?

We do not yet know what exactly causes canker sores, but researchers think that there are a number of factors that can trigger the outbreak.

The following are some of the possible triggers for the disease.

• Sensitivity to toothpaste and certain types of mouthwash that may contain sodium lauryl sulphate
• Injury to the mouth from too vigorous brushing, accidents, dental work, or a cheek bite
• Food sensitivity
• High levels of emotional stress
• Allergy to certain types of bacteria that colonize in the mouth
• Lack of vitamin b12, iron, or folic acid in the diet
• Hormonal changes

There may also be some other reasons such a celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, HIV, or a faulty immune system that may attack your own body institute of foreign pathogens.

How can you prevent canker sores?

People who usually develop canker sores find that it runs in the family. It may be due to hereditary reason or a shared component in the environment such as a food item that causes allergy awesome environmental allergens.

There are a few ways in which you can reduce the recurrence of canker sores.

1. Follow good oral hygiene

Make sure that you regularly brush your teeth twice a day and floss once. When you brush your teeth, don’t be overzealous. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to minimise irritation to the sensitive soft tissues in the mouth. Also avoid to pay and mouth rinses which may contain the compound sodium lauryl sulphate.

2. Watch your diet

If you have identified the food items that seem to irritate your mouth, try and avoid them as much as possible. Some of the most common food items that can cause an allergic reaction and trigger an outbreak of canker sore include chips, certain types of spices, nuts, acidic fruits, salty foods, pretzels etc. Do not consume any food item that you know you are allergic to.

3. Maintain physical and oral health

Canker sores are often caused because your immunity is low. Eat plenty of healthy fruit and vegetables to make sure that you take care of any nutritional deficiency in your body. Make sure that your immune system is healthy.

4. Take steps to reduce stress

If you find that there is an outbreak whenever you are stressed, you must learn to take necessary steps to reduce stress levels. You can try meditation and other stress reduction techniques that seem to work pretty well.

How do you treat canker sores?

Usually, you don’t really need any specific treatment for minor can cause source which tend to go away on their own within a couple of weeks. But if the sores are large, painful, or unusually persistent it may need medical attention. There are a number of treatment options that are available at your dental clinic.

• Mouth rinses

Your dentist may prescribe a mouth rinse containing medication to reduce the pain and inflammation.

• Topical products

There are also many prescription products and over the counter medication in the form of gels, creams, and liquids which may help alleviate the pain. Use products on the individual sores to heal faster. Some products have active ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide, benzocaine etc. Your doctor would be the best person to choose the correct medication for you.

• Oral medication

If the canker sores do not respond to topical medication, you may need to take medication orally. Oral steroid medications are often used as a last resort for stubborn canker sores that do not respond to any other type of treatment.

• Cauterization of sores

Cauterization is a process of using an instrument or a chemical substance to burn and destroy infected tissue. This is also a treatment option for canker sores.

• Nutritional supplementation

If your diet is deficient in nutrition, your doctor may prescribe a supplement. It is necessary to have adequate amount of folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and zinc in order to prevent recurrence of canker sores.