June 26, 2010

• Top 14 Tips for Preventing Canker Sores

  1. Refrain from eating abrasive, hard foods such as potato chips, pretzels, and toast. Most start as a minor cut inside the mouth and develop into the horrible sore.
  2. Don't overeat. Over-taxing the digestive system may cause sores.
  3. Regular use of non-alcoholic mouthwash may help prevent or reduce the frequency of sores.
  4. In some cases, switching toothpastes can prevent aphthous ulcers from occurring with research looking at the role of sodium dodecyl sulfate (sometimes called sodium lauryl sulfate, or with the acronymes SDS or SLS), a detergent found in most toothpastes. Using toothpaste free of this compound has been found in several studies to help reduce the amount, size and recurrence of ulcers.
  5. Dental braces are a common physical trauma that can lead to aphthous ulcers and the dental bracket can be covered with wax to reduce abrasion of the mucosa.
  6. Zinc deficiency has been reported in people with recurrent aphthous ulcers. The few small studies looking into the role of zinc supplementation have mostly reported positive results particularly for those people with deficiency, although some research has found no therapeutic effect
  7. Many people report that the ulcers coincide with periods of stress. So, try to keep your stress levels low.
  8. Some of the nutritional deficiencies correlated with the presence of canker sores are B vitamins, zinc, folic acid and selenium.
  9. Canker sores are caused by our bodies' immune response, it makes sense that they can be triggered by food allergies. Any substance that contacts the oral tissues may lead to an over-stimulated immune response.
  10. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta blockers, and chemotherapy may increase the frequency of canker sores
  11. Include yogurt and other cultured, soured dairy products in your diet.
  12. Avoid tobacco, chewing gum, and lozenges.
  13. Eat salads and raw onions.

  Healing
  What I found that works for me: After meals, wash out your mouth thoroughly with water, brush your teeth, then use mouthwash generously. After doing this apply hydrogen peroxide on the sore. Basically keeping the mouth and sore area as clean as possible will accelerate the rate of healing. Before my sores could last up to 2 weeks, but after starting this method, they usually heal in less than 4 days. Also, I take high dose of vitamin C as well.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphthous_ulcer
  http://www.quantumhealth.com/news/canker_sore_prevention.html

  • 1:02 pm
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