Having a faulty immune system that attacks your mouth's healthy cells rather than bacteria and viruses is one of the possible causes of canker sores. Other causes include a minor injury to your mouth from dental work, brushing, accidentally biting your cheek or eating spicy or acid-causing foods. Sometimes food sensitivities or allergies are the culprits, as well as hormonal shifts, stress and toothpastes containing the chemical sodium lauryl sulfate. You are more at risk for canker sores if other members of your family have them and if you are female. Having a well-functioning immune system can help ward off these pesky intruders that are irritating to kids and adults alike.
Canker Sores
Canker sores, sometimes called mouth ulcers, are small lesions found on the soft tissues in your mouth and the base of your gums. They are not contagious but can be extremely painful when you try to eat or talk. Most are round or oval-shaped with a center that is white or yellow surrounded by a red border. A tingling or burning sensation comes on a day or two before the sores appear. Most heal on their own within 10 to 14 days, although there are home remedies as well as prescriptions to shorten their stay.
Vitamin C
Dr. Craig Zunka, a Virginia dentist and past president of the Holistic Dental Association, recommends at the first sign of a canker sore to begin taking 500 mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids three times a day for the next three days. "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" recommends reducing the dose to half of the amount for children 6 to 12 years old and to one-fourth the dose for children under six. Vitamin C is necessary for healthy gums and helps with producing anti-stress hormones and interferon, an important immune system protein. It is protective against infection and increases immunity. It comes in good-tasting chewable forms that kids like. Good food sources are berries, green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits.
Other Help
Herbs 2000 recommends that children take a combination of the herbs echinacea and goldenseal three times a day until the sores improve. Do not give echinacea for more than 10 days because it loses its effectiveness. Licorice-root tea can be made into a mouthwash for children to be swirled inside the mouth twice daily. In addition to being soothing, licorice root has anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities, but do not use if your child has high blood pressure. A deficiency in the amino acid lysine might cause a canker sore outbreak, but lysine should not be taken for longer than 6 months. Adults should take 500 mg of lysine three times a day on an empty stomach. Accordingly, children between 6 and 12 years should reduce that dose to half and younger children, to one-fourth dosage. Vitamin B complex helps immune function and healing, and deficiencies have been linked to mouth sores. Check with your doctor before taking any nutritional or herbal supplement and to compute the right dosage for children.
Prevention
The best way to prevent canker sores as well as other conditions and diseases is to have a healthy immune system to begin with. Children should eat a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, including whole grains and fruits and vegetables. They should get regular sleep, exercise and try not to get too stressed, which affects immune functioning. Deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid seem to cause canker sores in some people, so make sure your kids get plenty of these in their diets and supplement if necessary. The homeopathic remedy mercurious solubilis supports the health of the mouth and gums, according to Native Remedies, and the herb astralagus boosts the immune system. Check with your healthcare provider about a dose that is appropriate for children.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Canker Sore
- "The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies"; Rodale Press; 1990
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2010
- Native Remedies: Immune System Boosters
- Herbs2000.com: Canker Sores
