Canker sores also known as aphthous ulcers are small shallow ulcers that appear in the mouth and are often uncomfortable talking and eating. Canker sores are a common form of ulcers of the mouth that result from a variety of causes. These sores can be very annoying, as they can make it difficult to eat, talk, and drink. They also cause discomfort when one is brushing one’s teeth, and can cause you to brush gingerly during the duration of the canker sore. There is no absolute cure for canker sores, and no surefire way to prevent them. However, there are a variety of mouth medicines to reduce the pain and help them heal quickly.

Causes of Cankers Sore

• Foods: acidic foods, or rough foods like nuts, citrus fruits, and tomatoes can irritate the inside of the mouth, which are abrasive to the mouth can result in canker sores.
• Substances: Such as tobacco and alcohol. Tobacco is bad for you on multiple levels and in any form can aggravate conditions in your mouth enough to result in a canker sore. Chewing tobacco, though, is especially prone to creating canker sores. Frequent alcohol consumption can also contribute substantially to canker sore development. Limited consumption of those substances will reduce change of cankers sore.
• Dental: Lack of dental hygiene could cause canker sores as well.
• Allergies and nutrient deficiencies: Not enough nutrition, vitamins and allergies could lower immune system could be one of the causes of cankers sore.
• Stress: is the number one cause cankers sore over all.
• Chemotherapy: some people develop cankers sore by side effect of chemotherapy.

Treatment of Cankers sores

• Dental hygiene: brushing and flossing every day, and using mouthwash. Visiting your dentist every 6 month will have less change of get cankers sore.
• Antibiotic called tetracycline has used to treat cankers sore effectively.
• Over-the-counter remedies have benzocaine, menthol, and eucalyptol in them. These need to be applied repeatedly and may sting at first.
• Avoid chewing gum, hard, crunchy spicy foods or mouth can help reduce irritation.
• Using toothpaste that does not contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate).
• In rare cases of cankers sore, anti-inflammatory medicines called corticosteroids are used to treat.
• To relieve pain from cankers sore, Tetracycline suspensions used as a mouthwash.
• Anbesol comes in either a gel or liquid form. Simply squeeze out a small amount onto your finger and rub it into the affected area. In a matter of seconds the pain goes away. Apply 3-4 times daily.
• In severe cases, oral colchicine, dapsone and perhaps thalidomide.
• Topical cortisone treatment applied to the ulcers several times a day may relieve the pain, and speed up healing process.
• Baking Soda used as a mouthwash it will help relieve canker sore pain.