Canker sores are also called mouth ulcers or aphthous ulcers and can be very painful. They develop inside the mouth on or underneath your tongue, inside your cheeks or lips, or on your gums. Canker sores can also develop on the soft palate. You may have a single canker sore, or they can grow as a cluster and can recur. Although canker sores are not pleasant, most clear up without any treatment within a couple of weeks.
Canker Sores Are Not Contagious
Canker sores are often confused with cold sores, but unlike cold sores, they are not contagious. Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus and appear on the lips, and are highly contagious.
How Can I Tell If I Have a Mouth Ulcer?
When a mouth ulcer first develops, you might notice your mouth begins to tingle or burn a couple of days before you can see the sore. Generally, a canker sore is oval or round, with a red border and a yellow or white centre.
The most common form of mouth ulcer is minor canker sores, and these are usually quite small and oval-shaped and heal within a week or two. Major canker sores are rarer and usually create sores that are deeper and larger and round with well-defined borders, although the edges may be irregular when you have a large sore. A major canker sore can be very painful and can take up to 6 weeks to heal fully, leaving behind a scar. Herpetiform canker sores usually affect older people and often occur as a cluster that may merge into one larger ulcer. They have irregular edges and generally heal without leaving a scar within a couple of weeks.
Why Do People Get Canker Sores?
Often the cause of a canker sore isn’t very clear, but several factors can trigger it. For example, some people are sensitive to sodium laurel sulphate, an ingredient found in toothpaste that helps it foam. If you think this applies to you, ask your dentist in Oshawa for their recommendations for a toothpaste that doesn’t contain this ingredient.
Other potential triggers can be food sensitivities, especially towards foods that are very acidic or spicy. Some people also find other foods like cheese, eggs, and nuts can prompt the development of mouth ulcers. It can be due to a lack of iron, vitamin B12, or zinc in your diet. If you regularly develop canker sores, it could be worth adjusting your diet to see if certain foods are causing an attack. Experiencing emotional stress can trigger canker sores. Accidentally biting the inside of your cheek or brushing your teeth too hard can also lead to mouth ulcers.
Mouth ulcers most often develop in young adults and teenagers, and women are more likely to get them than men. Often, people who get recurrent canker sores in Ajax will have a family history of this problem due to environmental factors or allergens.
Should I See a Dentist for Canker Sores?
Usually, you will not need to come and see us here at Margolian Dentistry for canker sores treatment. They should clear up on their own, but if they fail to heal, contact our dentist in Whitby so we can help you. It’s especially important to come and see us if you find it too painful to eat and drink or if you develop a high fever. You should also seek professional care if your sores last longer than two weeks or are unusually large. We might need to prescribe a mouth rinse that can help reduce the inflammation and pain, or we can prescribe a topical product that is applied directly to the canker sores.
