Mouth Ulcer Causes and Treatment – Thousand Smiles
Book Now
Mouth Sores/ulcers

Mouth Sores Or Ulcer Causes and Treatment

Mouth sores are also known as aphthous ulcers or canker sores. These are small shallow lesions affecting soft tissues in the mouth or the base of the gums. They are usually painful, making talking and eating difficult.

Mouth sores affect many people and usually heal after 1 – 2 weeks, but if your sores are painful, large and persistent, you need to visit our dentist at Thousand Smiles to diagnose the cause of the sores and get treatment.

Diagnosis of mouth sores

You may not need any tests at the dental practice to diagnose mouth sores because the dentist can perform a visual exam for this. However, some tests may be necessary to identify the conditions responsible for the mouth sores, especially if the sores are severe and persistent.

Treatment for mouth sores

In some cases, gum disease doesn’t cause pain, so you may be unaware if you have it, but regular check-ups with our dentist will identify signs of gum disease if present.

Some treatments for mouth sores include:

Mouth rinses

If you have several sores, the dentist may recommend using a steroid dexamethasone-containing mouth rinse to reduce the inflammation or lidocaine for the pain.

Topical products

You can also use over-the-counter prescription products like pasts, creams, gel or liquids on each sore for faster healing and relieving pain. The over-the-counter products usually contain

  • Benzocaine (Anbesol, Zilactin-B, Kank-A, Orabase)
  • Fluocinonide (Lidex, Vanos)
  • Hydrogen peroxide (Peroxyl, Orajel antiseptic mouth sore rinse)

Other topical products that do not contain these active ingredients are available to treat mouth sores. Your dentist can recommend a suitable option.

Highly experienced dentists offering advanced dental treatments at Thousand Smiles.

Oral medications

The healthcare professional may recommend oral medications if you have severe mouth sores that topical products can’t treat.

The oral medications to treat mouth sores are

  • Medications that aren’t exclusively for mouth sores, like colchicine for treating gout and intestinal ulcer treatment and sucralfate (Carafate) which is used as a coating agent.
  • Oral steroid medications when other medications cannot treat the sores but these medications result in serious side effects

Cautery of sores

During cautery, the medical expert will use an instrument or chemical substance to burn the tissues.

  • Silver nitrate is a solution used in chemically burning mouth sores. Although the solution relieves pain, it may not speed up your healing.
  • Debacterol is another topical solution for treating mouth sores and gum problems. It helps speed up healing to within a week

Nutritional supplements

You can take nutritional supplements such as vitamins B6 and B12, zinc and folic acid.

Treatment for other health issues

If your mouth sores result from a more severe health issue, the doctor may recommend a treatment for the health condition.

Home remedies and lifestyle changes

You can take the following steps to speed up your healing and relieve your mouth sore pains

  • Use baking soda rinse (a teaspoon of baking soda missed in ½ cup of warm water) or salt water to rinse your mouth
  • Place ice on the sores and allow the ice cubes to dissolve slowly over the sores
  • Brush your teeth gently using a soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste that doesn’t foam
  • Avoid spicy, abrasive or acidic foods that may cause more irritation and pain
  • Apply milk of magnesia on the sores a few times daily

Highly experienced dentists offering advanced dental treatments at Thousand Smiles.

Preparing for the appointment

Depending on your mouth sores, your dentist can make an accurate diagnosis. As you prepare for your appointment, the following will ensure you are ready.

Your dentist may ask the following questions

You can visit Thousand Smiles today for diagnosis and treatment of mouth sores or call to book an appointment at our dental practice.