8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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R E C O M M E N D E D B Y E X P E R T S SEPT 12 2019

By David Notis

Everything You Need to Treat aCanker Sore According toDentists

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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9 items in this article5 items on sale

Photo PrismaUIG via Getty Images

Canker sores (sometimes referred to as mouth ulcers orldquoaphthous ulcersrdquo) can be intensely painful The Mayo Clinicdefines canker sores as ldquosmall shallow lesions that develop onthe soft tissues in your mouth or at the base of your gumsrdquo Andto clear up a common misconception canker sores ldquoare not thesame thing as cold sores or herpetic soresrdquo says Dr TyroneRodriguez a pediatric dentist and ADA spokesperson Cankersores only occur inside the mouth and they are not contagiousWhile anyone can develop canker sores Rodriguez tells us thatcertain people are particularly prone to them and in generalldquoabout 20 percent of the population will experience them atleast once per yearrdquo

Both Rodriguez and Dr Gerry Curatola the founder ofRejuvenation Dentistry and author of The Mouth-BodyConnection underscored the difficulty of pinpointing the exactcauses of canker sores but common triggers include any sort ofphysical irritation inside the mouth (from braces an accidentalcheek bite or aggressive brushing for example) smoking (andvaping) and spicy food Stress lack of sleep nutritionalimbalance or an autoimmune disorder can also cause flare-ups

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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Additionally when the ldquooral biomerdquo which Curatola describesas ldquothe microbial ecosystem of your mouthrdquo gets out of balanceit changes the immune response and can lead to canker soresldquoLook at it as an alarm bell and not an annoyancerdquo he says Ifyour canker sores are particularly painful and persistent theexperts said itrsquos best to speak with your dentist But forstandard-issue canker sores there are some proven methods todeal with them mdash including topical treatments to provide reliefand speed up healing and toothpastes and mouthwashes thatcan minimize the occurrence of canker sores in the first place

Best overall topical treatment for cankersores

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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Phillipsrsquo Milk of Magnesia OriginalFlavor 12 oz $5

The first line of defense when it comes to treating canker sores is often some sortof topical pain reliever These can also help protect the sore from further irritationand speed up the healing process One treatment Rodriguez and Curatola bothrecommend is applying milk of magnesia directly to canker sores (They suggestusing a Q-tip) According to Curatola the benefits are more ldquopalliativerdquo and wonrsquotnecessarily help address the underlying cause but it can still help with the pain Inorder to get a stronger effect Rodriguez suggests mixing one part milk of magnesiawith one part Benadryl and then applying the same way topically with a Q-tip AsRodriguez explains ldquoBenadryl helps curb the inflammatory response that is

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

httpsnmagcomstrategistarticlehow-to-treat-canker-soreshtml 415

Phillipsrsquo Milk of Magnesia OriginalFlavor 12 oz $5

The first line of defense when it comes to treating canker sores is often some sortof topical pain reliever These can also help protect the sore from further irritationand speed up the healing process One treatment Rodriguez and Curatola bothrecommend is applying milk of magnesia directly to canker sores (They suggestusing a Q-tip) According to Curatola the benefits are more ldquopalliativerdquo and wonrsquotnecessarily help address the underlying cause but it can still help with the pain Inorder to get a stronger effect Rodriguez suggests mixing one part milk of magnesiawith one part Benadryl and then applying the same way topically with a Q-tip AsRodriguez explains ldquoBenadryl helps curb the inflammatory response that is

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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somewhat responsible for causing the discomfortrdquo and milk of magnesia providesa soothing protective coating

Best natural topical treatment forcanker sores

Plant Therapy Clove Bud EssentialOil 10 ml $10

Another pain-relieving topical treatment recommended by both dentists was cloveessential oil which they both warned is quite potent and should be applied in verysmall doses again with a Q-tip or something similar ldquoIt works for a lot of peoplerdquosays Rodriguez adding that since clove oil is a ldquonatural anaesthetic it will helpcalm down those nerve endings so things donrsquot hurt as much Curatola describesclove oil as working like ldquoa natural Benzocainerdquo (Benzocaine is the chemicalanaesthetic in many popular topical gels)

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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Best pain-relieving gel for canker sores

Orajel Instant Pain Relief Gel forMouth Sores 042 oz $6

Orajel is likely the most widely available topical treatment made specifically forcanker sores Itrsquos a pain-relieving gel that you can find in most drugstoresRodriguez didnrsquot recommend a specific brand but he said that benzocaine gels ingeneral ldquowill shut down the nerve endings which helps with the discomfort but itmight not stop the [inflammatory] processrdquo An additional benefit of this type ofgel however is that it forms a sort of protective coating over the sore which canhelp guard against further irritation

Best overall mouthwash for canker-soretreatment

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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Arm amp Hammer Baking Soda 5 lbs$7 now 14 off

$6

Mouthwash is another popular treatment method for canker sores and many findit easier to use since you can simply swish it around your mouth and then spit itout Both Rodriguez and Curatola mentioned baking soda rinses as an effectiveremedy because baking soda is ldquoalkalizingrdquo As Rodriguez explains ldquoMouth rinseswith baking soda are effective because they raise the pH in the mouth so thatthings that are acidic and irritating wonrsquot hurt as much and this can also facilitatethe healing processrdquo He recommends diluting one teaspoon of baking soda in ahalf-cup of warm water and then ldquoswishing it aroundrdquo in your mouth

Best antiseptic mouthwash for canker-sore treatment

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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Colgate Peroxyl Mouth Sore RinseMild Mint 169 oz$12 now 25 off

$9

Hydrogen peroxide rinse is another popular remedy for cleaning and healingcanker sores and Rodriguez says it ldquocan be effectiverdquo but itrsquos very important to usea solution thatrsquos 3 percent strength or less to avoid irritation This Colgate peroxiderinse is diluted to 14 percent strength so it should be gentle enough and itrsquos alsoalcohol-free which is important because alcohol ldquocan be an irritantrdquo and furtherinflame sores

Best mouthwash for canker-soreprevention

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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Listerine Zero Alcohol MouthwashCool Mint Flavor 1 liter$5 now 20 off

$4

Both dentists told us that using alcohol-free mouthwash is also an important partof canker sore prevention According to Curatola alcohol dries out the ldquosupportivefilm of the oral microbiomerdquo which he says is essential to maintaining a ldquobalancedrdquoand healthy mouth ldquoSaliva is the lifeblood of the mouthrdquo he says adding thatldquowhen saliva flow decreases yoursquore more prone to developing ulcersrdquo Using analcohol-free mouthwash like this one will help prevent your mouth from drying outwhich can decrease the likelihood of developing canker sores As Rodriguez puts itldquoSaliva is naturally protective so keeping things wet in your mouth is a goodthingrdquo

Best SLS-free toothpastes for canker-sore prevention

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

httpsnmagcomstrategistarticlehow-to-treat-canker-soreshtml 1015

Hello Naturally WhiteningFluoride Toothpaste$20 now 20 off

$16 for 4

Toothpaste can also trigger canker sores for some people Rodriguez often tellspatients who are having issues with mouth to sore to try out a new toothpastebrand and see if it helps ldquoIrsquove had patients that have had success by switchingbrands and some find that getting an SLS-free toothpaste helpsrdquo SLS or sodiumlaurel sulfate is the chemical in toothpaste mdash and many soaps and shampoos mdashthat creates a ldquofoamingrdquo effect According to Rodriguez SLS can act as act as anirritant for some and cause sores to develop Rodriguez did not want to endorse aparticular brand but this toothpaste from Hello was our best-overall naturaltoothpaste endorsed by two oral health experts and itrsquos SLS-free

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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Auromere Ayurvedic HerbalToothpaste $12 for 2

Curatola also recommends going SLS-free but he advises patients with canker-sore issues to avoid fluoride as well ldquoFluoride can lead to cankersrdquo he says becausesome types of fluoride ldquoirritate the soft tissue in the mouthrdquo He also recommendslooking at the ingredients list and avoiding anything with xylitol an artificialsweetener in many toothpastes ldquoXylitol can be very disturbing to the oral and gutmicrobiomesrdquo says Curatola

Best toothbrushes for canker-soreprevention

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

httpsnmagcomstrategistarticlehow-to-treat-canker-soreshtml 1215

Oral-B 7000 SmartSeriesRechargeable Power ElectricToothbrush

$130

Another potential cause of canker sores is aggressive brushing which can irritateyour gums and the inside of your mouth Rodriguez likes some of the moreadvanced electric toothbrushes because they have pressure sensors ldquothat let youknow if yoursquore brushing too hardrdquo This Oral-B toothbrush was featured in our listof the best dentist-recommended electric toothbrushes and it has a light-uppressure sensor to alert you when yoursquore applying too much force Also the smallbrush head would be helpful if you do have canker sores and need to navigatearound them while brushing (Most dentists agree that an electric brush is going tobe more effective than a manual one but if you prefer manual brushes Rodriguezrecommends sticking with soft bristles)

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful expertrecommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commercelandscape Some of our latest conquests include the best acnetreatments rolling luggage pillows for side sleepers naturalanxiety remedies and bath towels We update links when

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possible but note that deals can expire and all prices are subjectto change

6 COMMENTS

8222021 Everthing You Need to Treat a Canker Sore 2019 The Strategist

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