Canker Sore Elimination
A canker sore is a small, circular lesion that has a red lining and a yellow or white center. They can form anywhere in your mouth, lips or cheeks and are often very painful. Canker sores can be very annoying and fairly common, but they do not pose any kind of health risk and will usually clear up in a couple of weeks. The sores are often confused with cold sores, however, canker sores will only develop on the inside of your mouth whereas cold sores usually develop on the outside.
Canker sores begin as a tingling or burning sensation usually a day before the actual sore is visible. Once the sore erupts, it can be swollen and painful and can make it very hard to eat or drink. Once the sore is healed, most patients do not get scars due to them.
The direct cause of canker sores is unknown. However, they tend to develop in girls and women between the ages of 10 and 20. There is also speculation that canker sores develop in individuals that have vitamin or nutritional deficiencies, are under constant or ongoing stress, have a poor immune system, do not consume enough fruits or vegetables, among others.
As you wait for your appointment to see our Simi Valley dentist, Dr. Muradian, you can try home remedies to help ease the pain and speed up recovery. Try eating soft, bland food that won’t further irritate the canker sore and drink cold liquids, as this acts as a pain reliever. Over the counter medicines like Anbesol or Milk of Magnesia will also help speed-up healing or relieve pain.
You can help avoid getting canker sores by doing the following:
- Brushing your teeth gently
- Changing toothpaste to a product that does not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Avoiding stress
- Maintaining a balanced diet
- Chew carefully
If you have one or more canker sores, our Simi Valley dentist has ways to help heal them. Contact us as soon as possible for an appointment to get the relief you deserve.