Oh,the annoyance of canker sores

[ScottishDragon]

Well recently I got a canker sore right on a very sensitive part on my upper lip where all food put into my mouth touches. Pain for every bite,annoyance for a week. 2 weeks after finally getting rid of that one I have ANOTHER ONE!!! This time right on the spot when you pull your lip down the flap(thingy)connects your bottom lip to your gums. I seem to get them in the worst places in my mouth. Anyone know how to get rid of them? don't care about preventing them(it's just my terrible luck,not because I never brush my teeth)I've heard salt will burn them off but all it does is numb it for a few minutes. I want to get rid of this by thanksgiving,any tips?

[Marnath]

My tip is: do NOT prick it with a pin. It doesn't help, and it hurts bad.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Brushing teeth and mouth wash have always done it for me. For particularly tough ones, hydrogen peroxide and a brief rub of a q-tip.

[thubby]

if you can stand it, glyoxide fixes them realy quick.
feels like someone is branding your face, but still.

[Cerlis]

If i understand the sore correctly (So many things in the world go by so many names) then eat yogurt (i forget why, but i think all the bacteria in it replaces the bacteria around the sore. Thus allowing your antibodies to focus on the virus and not fight an infection at the same time), and for ME lysterine MOSTLY numbed it for a few hours (if i applied direct pressure it hurt, but it didnt hurt by just moving my mouth)

sorry but i think there is no magic way to get rid of em in a few days. but controlling the infected area will help make it go from agony to nuisance fairly soon i think

[ScottishDragon]

Hmmm,will try those,hopefully one day is enough time,don't have any yogurt atm tho:smallfrown:

[Haruki-kun]

Alas, the best thing you can do for those is to wait it out. They're gone in two weeks. >.o

[Kobold-Bard]

The annoyance of whatnow? :smallconfused:

[Asta Kask]

The annoyance of whatnow? :smallconfused:

Aphthous Ulcers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphthous_ulcer)

[shiram]

I usually just rinse my mouth with salted water, or put a bit of salt on the sore, and just press it in with my tongue. It kinda numbs the pain.
Patience is your best weapon though.

[Kobold-Bard]

Aphthous Ulcers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphthous_ulcer)

Ah, you mean an ulcer.

Yeah, they suck.

[Moonshadow]

Vegemite! My dad always tells me to put vegemite on mouth ulcers. It's really the salt in it that helps though. You should try using salt water or mouthwash to help them heal faster.

[Scoot]

Oh gosh, I feel your pain. Same thing happened about a few weeks ago. >.<

As it has been said, rinsing with Hydrogen Peroxide helps. It gets rid of all the puss and whatnot, and keeps your mouth clean.

I also take Lysine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysine) whenever I have a sore, and that seems to help kill it off.

[Haruki-kun]

Vegemite! My dad always tells me to put vegemite on mouth ulcers. It's really the salt in it that helps though. You should try using salt water or mouthwash to help them heal faster.

Oh, wait, come to think of it, I did try salt last time. Baking soda mixed with water also helps. Don't swallow it, though.

[Lillith]

Over here we have this stuff specifically for that called 'Blistex/Blist-ex'. It kind of burns the sore shut, but it does hurt so be warned. Also what I heard from preventing them (oh yeah, I went there) it's supposed to be from a vitamin deficiency. Which I am tempted to believe because I used to have those sores a lot and now that I take vitamin tablets and eat a lot of kiwi's they're a lot less.

[Alleine]

I feel your pain. I've had strings of up to 4 in a row once, one after the other as soon as one healed. It was like a hydra, you kill one and two more spring up to take its place. I have absolutely no idea why it happens though, I have pretty good mouth hygiene. The wiki article basically boils it down to "we dunno".

Rinsing with mouthwash usually numbs it pretty well for me. I have no idea bout getting rid of 'em though.

[Danne]

Ouch! I hate canker sores! Here's some tips:

- Try eating less citrus things (i.e. fruit). The acid is a major cause of canker sores.

- Does your toothpaste have sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) in it? That can actually cause canker sores, instead of preventing them. Talk to your dentist about getting a different kind!

- Home remedies: Salt or a (black) tea bag will numb the pain. Lycine mouth wash can help make it go away a little faster, as can a Q-tip with hydrogen peroxide or even rubbing alcohol. Keep your chosen product on until the white tint disappears; doing this a few times a day will make it go away faster!

- Medications: Zilactin cream is (should be, anyway) over the counter. It applies a film over the sore which completely numbs it, much better than anything like salt -- it'll last for hours if you don't poke at it with your tongue, and it goes completely numb, not just reduced pain. This doesn't make it go away faster, though. Aphthasol cream does, but it's really nasty. It's this icky paste stuff, but it works like magic. I've had sore that would normally last two weeks or more be gone in only four days! This is prescription, though, so you'd need to talk to your dentist.

Hope this helps!

[CynicalAvocado]

i get them all the time, mostly because i sleep on my stomach with my face in the pillows and my teeth rub on my lips all night

[Danne]

i get them all the time, mostly because i sleep on my stomach with my face in the pillows and my teeth rub on my lips all night

Wearing a mouth guard at night will prevent this. My mum and brother have to do this or they get terrible canker sores.

[ScottishDragon]

I usually just rinse my mouth with salted water, or put a bit of salt on the sore, and just press it in with my tongue. It kinda numbs the pain.
Patience is your best weapon though.

Yeah i'm tryig to get rid of it by tomorrow morning so I don't really have a lot of time,now i'm gonna go looks around the house and try out some of the methods posted here.(trying to put off the pain):smalleek::smallfrown:

[Vizzerdrix]

Salt always worked for me. I pour a bit on a paper towel, lick my finger and rub it in the salt untill I have a nice thick layer of salt built up. Then I press it into the would untill it goes numb from the pain. Happy thoughts! :smallbiggrin:

[Thes Hunter]

Oh Herpes (1, but maybe 2), why must you live in the Trigeminal ganglion of almost everyone on the planet and travel down your same neuronal path to emerge where you entered, time and time again. Why must you show your ugly slightly puffy whiteish head whenever life has gone to the crapper, making things that much more fun?

And to the aunt, or grandma, or whomever first infected me with this, I guess i must thank you, because without carrying this virus within my DNA since I was young, I would be more susceptible to viral meningitis, and my head is already big enough... it doesn't have to swell any more.

[MartytheBioGuy]

You're thinking of cold sores. Canker sores are another issue entirely, and there's actually no completely satisfying answer for what causes them.

But no, canker sores are probably not a result of any sort of herpes virus.

[Thes Hunter]

You are somewhat correct:


The aphthous ulcer (canker sore) is a distinct oral lesion, prone to recurrence. The differential diagnosis is noted in Table 312-1. Aphthous ulcers are reported to develop in 20% of the population. Their etiology is unclear, but infectious causes, such as Helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus, and even measles, have been implicated. Clinically, these ulcers are characterized by well-circumscribed, ulcerative lesions with a white necrotic base surrounded by a red halo. The lesions last 10–14 days and heal without scarring. Expensive prescription medications appear to offer little advantage over readily available over-the-counter palliative therapies.

Source: Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th ed.


The medical literature doesn't distinguish between cold sores and canker sores, but you are correct, not all mouth sores are caused by Herpes, but HSV-1 (and 2) infection is so endemic that the probability that a person has one caused by herpes is quite good. But since treatment is basically the same: "Put this over-the-counter creme on it to help make it feel better while it goes away", it in many senses doesn't matter what is causing it.

Doctors just don't call it herpes because of the stigma the word carries and how people would freak out if they were told their benign small mouth sore, that provides momentary discomfort and that will heal on it's own is actually caused by herpes.

Note though... HSV-1 and 2 can jump ship and infect other areas. Ie. 1 is mostly the mouth (and meningitis) type, and 2 is mostly the 'down there' type, but Both 1 and 2 can infect either area, and if you have not been inoculated to a strain, it can be picked up through contact.

(And to add to the paranoia, most people who have herpes infections 1 & 2 don't have symptoms and can spread the infection when they are symptomless)

Main point, if you have a mouth sore, even if you think it's just a canker sore and OMG IT'S NOT HERPES! still don't do any 'favors' for your sweetie until it's gone.

And if you have any doubts, bag it.

Nothing can guarantee that you will be 'safe', but there is safer.

[The Valiant Turtle]

I've gotten canker sores frequently for most of my life but a few years ago I decided to get serious about preventing/treating them. There seems to be more information out there now and here's one good site: http://www.acankersorecure.com/

As with most things, prevention is easier than treatment. When it comes to canker sore prevention it's mostly in what you eat and what you brush your teeth with. Acidic foods seem to be a strong factor in causing canker sores. Tomatoes and citrus fruits are the most common culprits. When it comes to brushing your teeth use a toothpaste without Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. You can sometimes find Rembrandt's variety in drugstores, but you're not going to find them at Wal-Mart. The link above has a whole section devoted to toothpaste. Equally important is to use a soft toothbrush and brush gently. Resist the urge to scour your teeth. It doesn't help. In my case this cut back canker sores from 1 every other month or so to maybe 1 a year, so I'm pretty happy with it.

For treatment when I get them I use Ora-gel or something similar combined with a mouthwash called Ulcer-Ease that you might be able to pick up at a drugstore or just order online. At drugstores you typically have to ask for it at the pharmacy counter. The site above has several other cures you can try. Good luck.