Are you feeling like you can’t eat, talk, or live without doing something that hurts your mouth sores? I know how that goes. Canker sores and cold sores can be painful and annoying.

Mouth sores usually stick around from 7 days to 4 weeks, but there are things you can do to get some relief and speed up the healing process.

Canker Sores

Prevention:

• Avoid acidic foods. Tomatoes, citrus, and spicy foods exacerbate pain and prolong healing with canker sores. If you have a torn or sensitive area in your mouth, stay away from these foods so you do not develop a canker sore.
• Lysine taken at 500 mg daily is suggested to prevent  canker sores and 4000 mg daily decreases the length of canker sores.

 

At the Store:

• Orajel is a numbing gel that is easy to find and does the job. Squirt a little on your canker sore before a meal and forget the actually enjoy your food!

 

At Home:

• Salt can bring you some significant relief and accelerate the healing process. Mix a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water and swish it around, allowing it to sit around your canker sore and cleanse your mouth.
• Another numbing option is an ice cube. If your canker sore is frozen, it won’t bother you.

At the Dental Office:

• Laser therapy for immediate relief. Healing time of the sore will be significantly decreased. The ideal time to come in for laser treatment on a canker sore is when there is as soon as it is noticed.

 

Cold Sores

Prevention:

• Use sunscreen. Heavy exposure to sun often triggers cold sores to emerge.
• Act quickly when you first start to experience signs of a cold sore. The faster you can begin treatment, the more effective the treatment will be.
• Because cold sores are caused by a virus, you can protect yourself by bolstering your immune system.
• Use of L-lysine. 1000 mg daily for 12 months and 1000 mg three times daily for 6 months.

At the Store:

• Zinc oxide/glycine cream can often help cold sores heal quickly, especially when applied early in their development.
• Because cold sores are contagious, replacing your toothbrush after your cold sore has healed can prevent future appearances.

At Home:

• Eating healthily can give your body what it needs to beat the cold sore virus.
• Avoid touching your cold sore. Make sure you wash your hands very well before you touch your face.

At the Dental Office:

• Laser therapy for immediate relief. Healing time of the sore will be significantly decreased. The ideal time to come in for laser treatment on a cold sore is when there is still burning/tingling. Treatment is more predictable at this time and a lesion may never develop.

 

Follow these tips and you will be feeling better in no time! Get ready to enjoy that spotless smile again.