Have you ever dealt with painful sores in the mouth that make eating or drinking unbearable?! These small and tender spots are known as mouth ulcers. And even though it cannot be said what the biggest cause of mouth ulcers is, it is believed that they are mainly caused by physical injury, certain foods, and even stress. While most of them can heal on their own within one to two weeks, treatment might can speed up recovery.
Types
The truth is that there are many different types of mouth sores, so understanding them can help you take the right approach to treating them with targeted mouth ulcer medicines.
Canker Sores (Aphthous Ulcers)
These are certainly the most common type of mouth ulcers in humans and can occur from minor trauma like biting your cheek, from eating acidic foods or even stress. The easiest way to distinguish them is by their white or yellow colour with red around the edges.
Oral Lichen Planus
This condition can cause itchy rashes and white sores inside the mouth. This is an immune system response, and unfortunately, it mostly affects females around 50 or older.
Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia causes white or grey patches inside the mouth, and they appear because of excess cell growth. Even though it can sometimes appear out of nowhere with no particular reason, quite often, this condition is a chronic irritation caused mainly by smoking or chewing tobacco. Luckily, these sores aren’t cancerous.
Erythroplakia
Erythroplakia is just another type of sore caused by smoking or chewing tobacco. They are red patches that commonly appear behind the lower front teeth or under the tongue. Unlike leukoplakia lesions, these are usually precancerous or cancerous.
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is an overgrowth of yeast called Candida albicans. Usually, it happens after antibiotic treatment or when the immune system isn’t strong at the moment. Unlike the other sores, oral thrush appears as red, creamy-white mouth sores and patches.
Treatments
Unfortunately, mouth ulcers can pop up anywhere: on your gums, tongue, palate, inner cheeks, or inner lips. Wherever they appear, the pain can be sharp enough to cause concern. Some of them can even be alarming, so in most cases treating them is essential. Treating them early is always a good idea, as it helps ease discomfort and speeds up recovery. Thankfully, mouth ulcer medicines can speed up healing and prevent infections.
Over-the-Counter Gels
These gels are usually under the pain relief and numbing categories because of their main ingredients. Gels containing choline salicylate are rubbed directly to the spot to ease soreness. Those containing lidocaine and benzocaine numb the skin fast to reduce pain and allow you to eat, drink and speak.
Anti-Inflammatory Steroid Gels
The aphthous ulcers can cause swelling and severe inflammation in and around the mouth. To prevent this or ease the pain, consider using a gel or paste containing triamcinolone acetonide or benzocaine. A paste works especially well because it stays firmly in place despite the mouth’s wet lining.
Antiseptic Mouthwashes
Aside from the gel and paste, medicated mouthwashes and gargles are another great option. Swishing with an antiseptic rinse like Betadine or one containing chlorhexidine gluconate can improve healing and prevent infection by killing germs and keeping the sore clean. Plus, these rinses are easy to find over the counter at your local pharmacy.
Pain Relief Medicine
When things get really tough and you cannot deal with the pain, especially from canker sores, taking an anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen can bring much-needed relief.
Home Treatments
Aside from these medicines, you can also use natural home treatments in the form of mouthwash between medicine treatments. The two most commonly used treatments for this purpose are chamomile tea and baking soda mouthwash.
Chamomile tea contains levomenol and azulene, which are great for disinfecting and fighting inflammation. This tea makes a great mouthwash for calming the affected area and fighting inflammation. Rinsing the mouth with it can be done as many times as you want, but it’s recommended to do it only 2-3 times when already applying a medical ointment.
Baking soda rinse, on the other hand, is good for balancing your mouth’s pH and reducing inflammation. To make a rinse, you’ll need 5 g of food-grade baking soda dissolved in 230 to 250ml of water. You can gargle two to three times a day for about 30 seconds and then spit out the solution.
No matter how careful you are, sometimes you can get these sores even from regular teeth cleaning and polishing at the dentist, usually from the dentist’s glove traction. Fortunately, the fastest way to bounce back is by using a targeted antiseptic gel, protective paste, or soothing rinse. With the right treatment, you can relieve discomfort quickly and get back to eating and drinking comfortably.
