by Ahmad Sadli

Created on: July 05, 2009   Last Updated: July 06, 2009

Canker sores or aphthous ulcers are small, painful sores inside the mouth. They typically appear as a round white spot with a red border. Living with canker sores is painful and irritating. Even eating will seem difficult.

Many of us would have had experienced some sort of canker sores at some stages in our life because canker sores are a rather common oral disease.

The actual cause of canker sores is still unclear, but stress seems to influence or trigger canker sores. People with AIDS usually will have larger than normal canker sores that persist for a longer duration compared to other people.

Treatment of canker sores involves relieving the pain until canker sores heal by itself. An anesthetic like dyclonine or lidocaine is the typical item found in mouth rinse ingredients used to relief canker sores.

To prevent canker sores, we should have a balanced lifestyle devoid of any undue stress or unhealthy habit that will weaken our immune system. The key word here is moderation. Some fruits are great for our health, but overdoing it can cause canker sores.

If you are prone to canker sores, try to avoid citrus and acidic foods such as tomatoes and other citrus fruits such as oranges, grapes, vinegar and pineapples, figs and strawberries among others. These types of fruits, with their acidic property, can easily stimulate a new outbreak or aggravate existing canker sores.

Healthy diet and vitamin supplements are always good for our health. Vitamin C seems the main item that you must take sufficiently. Eating raw and fresh vegetables such as salad and onion seems helpful in preventing canker sores.

It is also advisable to eat more yogurt. The active lactobacillus acidophilus cultures usually found in yogurt can do wonders in preventing canker sores.

You also should try to check the toothpaste you are using. If it contains SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) in a high volume, it is not good for canker sores. Use SLS-free toothpaste instead.

All in all, try to lead a healthy lifestyle. If you are in the best of health, canker sores will only be a minor inconvenience and shall heal itself in the shortest time possible. Try to manage stress carefully and always eat healthily.

If a person has serious canker sores, a doctor may prescribe a tetracycline mouth rinse. If the situation gets worse, stronger drug such as costicosteroid may be used. Canker sores may seems simple and easy problem, but any sore that lasts longer must be examined by a dentist or doctor to ensure that it is not cancerous or even precancerous.

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