If there is a small white or yellow oval-shaped ulcer or a painful red area in your mouth, then you are dealing with a canker sore. This condition usually occurs on the softer parts of the mouth such as your mouth, inside of your cheeks and on the inside of your lips.

The medical name for this condition is recurrent aphthous stomatitis or RAS. The worst thing about canker sores is that they will appear again and again over time, so you have to take care of your oral hygiene and do your best to prevent them.

Thankfully, canker sores are not contagious and they tend to heal on their own in about a week or so. They are also usually small in size, often ranging a centimeter in diameter. They can appear in your mouth alone or as a part of a cluster. 

If you occasionally get canker sores, it is a good idea to learn how to treat them at home. Thankfully, the experts at Icon Dental Center in Seattle and Everett have come up with a comprehensive guide that will help you treat this condition at home.

So without further ado, let’s have a look at how you can treat canker sores with simple remedies.

Mouth Rinse

• One of the first things you should do on a daily basis is to grab an over-the-counter mouth rinse and clean the affected area and then rinse your mouth with warm water. This will provide you with immediate relief from pain and discomfort in the mouth.

You should aim to buy a mouth rinse that has antiseptic properties to help prevent the infection from spreading and to numb the mouth from within. Although it isn’t a cure, it will help you control the pain and discomfort associated with canker sores. 

Departmental Store Gel

• Departmental stores often stock topical gels that can be applied directly to the canker sore for immediate relief. These gels or pastes prevent the infection from spreading and being irritated by food you eat.

Keep in mind that ulcers are particularly irritated by spicy foods and acidic foods. You should also avoid touching the canker sore if you don’t want to irritate the infection and allow it to grow.

• Sometimes you can also apply special bandages or patches that are conveniently available from a pharmacy or dentist’s office. These patches can be applied over the canker sore to help protect it from being irritated. 

Regular Dental Hygiene

• You already know the importance of good oral hygiene practices. Regular dental care will keep away many mouth conditions. In addition to cleaning your teeth and mouth every day, consider visiting a dentist at least every six months for optimal dental health.

The doors at Icon Dental Center are always open for people who want to come in for routine exams & cleanings.

• When you have a canker sore in your mouth, try to use a soft toothbrush to avoid irritating the condition. Maintain good oral hygiene by making sure your teeth, gums, tongue, and the rest of your mouth from the inside is clean. 

This is especially important if you want to prevent the ulcers from being infected. 

Dieting

• During the condition, you must ensure that you are following a specific diet that does not include very spicy, acidic or salty foods. All of these can irritate canker sores and can prevent them from healing on time.

Keep using the home remedies mentioned above and avoid hot food and beverages, especially the food that has rough edges such as a toast, fried chicken and anything crunchy. 

• Furthermore, introduce Vitamin B-12 to your diet to help support the normal functioning of the nervous system because it plays a vital role in the creation of blood cells.

Your doctor or dentist can tell you which other vitamins and minerals are important for your health and immune system, so be sure to visit them once in a while. 

Salt Rinse

• You can accelerate the healing process of anti-inflammatory and counter medications by using a salt rinse. You can easily make the salt solution at home by mixing water and salt together. Apply this to the affected area and rinse your mouth completely. 

The good thing about salt solutions is that they have no side effects and they serve as a natural remedy for mouth sores and highly contagious medical conditions of the mouth. 

Visit the Dentist Today

If canker sores are an occasional problem for you, then there could be a bigger problem underlying. Visit our dental offices in Seattle or Everett for a routine check-up and allow our dentists to see if you have any underlying dental conditions.

Finding a condition early can help prevent it from getting worse. Some conditions, if not treated on time can be highly threatening to your overall health. So don’t wait, get your appointment today and have your mouth looked at!