Everything you wanted to know about canker sores!

Canker sores: They suck

Approximately 20% of people will have had canker sores at some time in their life. I've been getting them since I was a kid, had them constantly while wearing braces, and still get the occasional ulcer.

But what causes them?

A variety of things, actually. Mouth irritation is the most common reason. Things like accidentally biting your cheek or not packing your braces with enough silicone wax--that sort of thing. Other causes include: stress, nutritional deficiencies, and eating certain acidic foods like citrus & chocolate (sugary & spicy foods in general). Some people may actually be genetically predisposed to these monsters.

No, they're not herpes

And neither are they contagious or sexually transmissible. The proper term for a canker sore is "aphthous ulcer". They're circular, flat, white in color, surrounded by a halo of anger. Everything makes them hurt--even air--because in order to heal they need to form a mucous covering which can get dried out.

They only show up inside the mouth, not in the corners like cold sores. Lips, cheeks, tongue, soft palate, gums--everywhere except on your teeth. Sometimes several of them will form in a cluster and coalesce into a Moby Dick-sized canker sore.

You know those tubes of gels marketed for canker sores? Those are worthless. They sting like a mofo and the protective film wears off quickly. The only product I've found that works is a paste made by Colgate called Orabase. None of those stinging ingredients that taste nasty, just plain benzocaine to numb the area for a while so you can function normally.

How the heck do you get rid of them?

First you have to determine how you got them in the first place.

*Not sleeping well
*Stress
*Not eating properly
*Chugging V-8 and orange juice every day
*Constantly chewing on your lip, cheek, or tongue (stop that!)

The first two are obvious--try to get better sleep and curb the anxiety (easier said than done).

The third one is from studies which how that people with aphthous ulcers have low amounts of B-12, iron, and folate in their bodies. So pop a couple of B-Complexes and eat a steak. Seriously, that B-Complex does wonders to help heal these things. Take up to 1,000mcg of B-12 until the ulcer begins to heal itself.

Here's the link to a Pubmed study about the effectiveness of B-12 on aphthous ulcers: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19124628

Damage to your mucosal lining by frequent exposure to acidic foods can trigger them. If you must drink/eat these foods, as soon as you are done rinse your mouth out with a baking soda rinse or non-alcohol mouthwash to neutralize your mouth's pH. For short-term relief of really painful ulcers, gargling with a liquid magnesium antacid (not the cherry-flavored stuff--stick with mint) can help quite a lot, and you can swish with it as often as you need to. Just don't swallow any of it or you'll get the shits!

If you sleep with your mouth open and the air is drying out your ulcer and making it hurt, sleep with a humidifier right next to you to help moisturize the air. Moisture allows the mucous lining to repair itself.

If you get an ulcer on the back of your throat, don't treat it like you would a regular sore throat--tea and honey is the WORST thing you can do to soothe it. Stick with water to drink and gargle often with a non-alcoholic mouthwash (Biotene is one of the best IMO).