5 Things You Need to Know About Treating Canker Sores

1. Different Prescriptions for Treating Canker Sores

Canker sores tend to go away on their own after one to two weeks. To reduce healing time and the pain associated with cankers, you can employ three types of treatments. A dentist may prescribe a mouth rinse or gel that contains a steroid. Application to the canker sores two to four times every day is routine. These gels or rinses often cause discomfort upon application. Pain relieving gels, like those used for teething pain, can dry over a canker sore and protect the sore from further irritation. Doctors aren't sure why, but mouthwashes that contain chlorhexidine gluconate are also effective in the treatment of canker sores.

2. Canker Sores Aren't Cold Sores

Canker sores are different from fever blisters in that canker sores occur only inside the mouth. Fever blisters can rarely appear inside the mouth, but more commonly appear outside. Canker sores aren't contagious, while fever blisters, also called cold sores, are. Viruses cause cold sores, but not canker sores. Fever blisters also show up after little blisters form.

3. Three Main Types of Canker Sores

Different types of canker sores include small mouth ulcers (called minor recurrent stomatitis), larger mouth ulcers (called major recurrent stomatitis) and herpetiform. The minor recurrent stomatitis is the most mouth ulcer, and it makes up about 70 percent of all canker sore cases. These canker sores usually measure less than 1 cm around. Major recurrent stomatitis, measuring at least 1 cm, can take up to three weeks to heal completely and can leave scarring. Herpetiform is the rarest type of mouth ulcer, with sores that measure anywhere from 2 to 3 mm in diameter, although these ulcers grow into larger sores.

4. Mouth Ulcers Can Stem From Illness

A healthcare professional can perform an examination to determine if canker sores present as a result of an underlying illness. Some people who have trouble with the digestive system as with celiac disease (an inability to tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye) can develop related canker sores. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis can also lead to a canker sore outbreak. Crohn's disease most commonly affects the small intestine, causing it to empty often, which results in diarrhea. Ulcerative colitis causes ulcers in the colon and the rectum.

5. Try to Determine Your Trigger

Trauma to the inside of the mouth can cause a canker sore outbreak. Biting the cheeks and lips can also lead to an outbreak. For sufferers who bite the inside of the mouth at night, a mouth guard can offer some protection from canker sores. Stress is also a factor to consider when looking for a cause of mouth ulcers. Journaling the stressful events, type of toothpaste used, any trauma to the mouth and the types of food you eat can help discover the trigger for a canker sore outbreak.