Mouth ulcers or canker sores are harmless and not contagious but can be very painful when not treated right away. It will lead to a lot of discomforts which will hinder a person from eating, drinking, and brushing their teeth comfortably.
Most of these mouth ulcers differ in size, the bigger it is, the more painful it will be. More so if you don't just get one mouth ulcer on your gums but a lot! Now that need proper mouth ulcer treatment you will learn more below.
What Causes Mouth Ulcers?
1. Mental Stress
Studies show that one of the things that trigger mouth ulcers is stress. Mental stress or fatigue from what you've been experiencing in life can cause mouth ulcers because mental health has always been connected to oral health. If you stress yourself too much, it will also reflect on your oral health so you start to have mouth ulcers on your gums. The formation of the mouth usually happens after days or a week of stressing yourself.
2. Eating acidic or spicy foods
Too much acid from citrus fruits and spicy food like lemons, oranges, hot sauce, spicy snacks, and chili can cause mouth irritation which leads to mouth ulcer. It will even worsen the situation if you have a mouth ulcer and you continue to eat these acidic and spicy foods because it will continue to break the lining of your mouth.
3. Mouth Injury
One of the mouth ulcers causes is an injury inside your mouth. If you have recently undergone dental work like braces and brackets, you are most likely to experience a mouth ulcer. Some of these injuries also include brushing too hard which irritates your gums and some accidental bites inside your mouth.
4. Vitamin Deficiency
If you lack iron and vitamin B12 in your diet, you are more prone to mouth ulcers. Food such as fish, green leafy vegetables, and meat are vital to have sufficient iron inside your body.
5. Weak Immune System
Other mouth ulcer causes include a weakened immune system when you have a cold or flu. Due to this immunodeficiency, your mouth responds resulting in a thin lining of your mouth or damaging your gums.
6. Sudden Withdrawal from Tobacco
If you recently stop smoking, it is no surprise that you will have mouth ulcers. PubMed results confirm that mouth ulcers are a common result of stopping smoking, affecting two in five quitters.
But this is something that you should not worry about, it's better to stop smoking and find the best mouth ulcer treatment below.
What Are Mouth Ulcer Treatment?
1. Rinse with Warm Saltwater
The goal of healing mouth ulcers is to dry them out. In this way, you can use salt which has proven antibacterial properties that will easily heal wounds. And yes, mouth ulcer is an open wound so it will be vital to use it as a treatment.
Directions:
Prepare a glass of warm water and mix of with ½ teaspoon of salt. Once the salt is dissolved, rinse your mouth with the solution, swish it for 30 seconds and spit it out afterward.
2. Apply Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is one of the most effective mouth ulcer treatments because it contains both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. By simply applying the gel of the plant directly to the affected area, you can experience pain relief with faster healing of your mouth ulcer.
3. Baking Soda Paste
Most mouth ulcers are inflamed. That's why you need to use a treatment that contains anti-inflammatory properties like baking soda. You can either gargle it or make a baking soda paste but the most effective one for healing mouth ulcer is directly applying the paste rather than gargling.
Directions
Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with enough water. (Gradually add water to have an exact measurement of making a paste.) Get a cotton bud and dip it in a paste. Put a small amount of paste directly in your canker sore. Let it sit for about 30-60 seconds. Spit out the paste and rinse your mouth with water.
4. Use Water Flosser
When you have a mouth ulcer, it will be difficult to brush or even floss your teeth. So it's a good choice to stick to water flossing which will not harm your mouth ulcer while making sure you get your teeth, gums, and whole mouth clean.
The use of dental floss can somehow trigger mouth ulcer especially when you harshly pull the floss in between your teeth reaching your gum line. So if you want to totally get rid of mouth ulcer, it's necessary to get a water flosser.
Steps in Using Water Flosser
- Fill the reservoir with warm water before placing it on the base.
- Water flossers come with different tips so choose the one that you favored the most.
- Click the tip on the handle.
- Turn on the water flosser and set the control dial too high to let the water flow. (The next time you will use it, you can set the control dial to any type of pressure you want.)
- In a sink, you have to lean over so that the water won’t stream down to your clothes.
- Place the tip at the gumline and let the water flow to clean each tooth.
- Move it from one gum to another.
- Once you have finished flossing your teeth, turn the water flosser off and remove the tip.
Conclusion
There is nothing you have to worry about for healing mouth ulcer because you can right away find the treatment that you need at home. We guarantee you that you'll get instant relief from pain and discomfort in just 2 days!
Your main concern should be how to take good care of your health as well as dental health to prevent mouth ulcers from coming back. Don't forget to watch your diet too and take the vitamins that your body needs, especially iron and vitamin B12!
Disclaimer:
The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen. The author and publisher do not take responsibility for any consequences resulting from the information provided in this article.