We're sure that at least once in your life, you've experienced a canker sore (ulcer). While they aren't any of an issue to your health, they can be extremely annoying, as they can leave you in a state of immense pain while eating or even moving your mouth. Fortunately, though, they don't last forever. After a few days, they tend to disappear on their own, as if they were never there. However, it does help to know how to get rid of them faster to shorten the ordeal you have to go through. To do that, though, you need to know how they show up in the first place.
Causes of Canker Sores
There are a few causes of canker sores. They can be caused by the food you eat. Acidic food items tend to trigger canker sores and make it worse if you already have them. Food allergens can also cause canker sores to develop.
Canker sores can also be developed after an injury to the mouth. For example, you may have bitten on your lips or cheeks while eating, leaving a wound. Unfortunately, you may have accidentally bitten on the same spot again, making it highly susceptible to becoming a canker sore.
Other causes of canker sores include toothpaste, stress, hormones, diseases, and bad habits, like smoking.
Getting Rid of Canker Sores
While canker sores will disappear on their own after a few days, here are five tips you can follow to lessen the ordeal and speed up the healing process:
- Brush Your Teeth Carefully
When you're brushing your teeth with canker sores, be careful. You do not want to accidentally hit them or scrape them while brushing, as it will agitate them. If this happens, not only is it going to leave you in a world of pain, but it might slow down the healing process as well.
- Avoid Acidic Food
Food items like oranges and other acidic items can cause canker sores. If you already have them, the acidic nature of this food can irritate them, causing them to hurt a lot. Try your best to avoid these kinds of food until the canker sore has fully healed. If you're seriously craving oranges, try sipping them in juice form with a straw to stop any from reaching your sores.
- Apply Wax on the Sores
This is helpful, especially if you're wearing braces. The constant rubbing of braces on the gums and cheeks can cause canker sores. When that happens, you are in for a world of pain. To reduce the pain you feel, add wax to where the sores touch the braces. If the pain and problem persist, head to the dentist to have your braces adjusted to address the issue.
- Use Pain-Relief Agents and Medicine
If the pain gets too much to bear, you might have to resort to pain relief medication. There are some numbing agents out there as well that you can apply directly to the canker sores. Just be sure to do some research on them and that it is safe to do so. Otherwise, you might put yourself in a little more trouble than you bargained for to get rid of the sores.
- Laser treatment
We have found our diode laser to be incredibly effective in treating canker sores with a reduction in pain and healing times. The treatment is non invasive using a the laser at a certain wavelength, wattage and time. Our patients have found the treatment to be life changing.
The Takeaway
The best way to address your canker sores is to avoid agitating them. Take precaution in whatever you put into your mouth, food, or non-food items, that they won't irritate your canker sores. Take pain medication if necessary, and head to the dentist if the cause of the sore is due to a fixture in the mouth. By doing these, not only do you ensure that you relieve yourself of the pain, but that the healing process can proceed as quickly as possible, as well.
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