best stuff for a canker sore (or three)

[TenaciousTgarden]

i get these when i'm stressed. they suck.
i tried this colgate/orabase stuff that's supposed to seal it, but the seal is all crunchy and feels like a piece of paper is stuck in my mouth, and doesn't really make it feel any better.
any tips besides rinsing with saltwater and cutting back on sweets?

 

[BigWill]

am I the only one with a visual of David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel?

 

[lnghrninlubbock]

see below thread on canker sore

 

[kbend]

Apthasol - only known cure, but it is a script and you have to use it on day 1.

 

[TenaciousTgarden]

below thread is on cold sores, which are very different from canker sores.

 

[LazyEngineer]

I get these all the time. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Apparently most toothpastes contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate (this is what makes them foam). It took me many years to figure this out that this can irritate your mouth and give you canker sores. I almost always get them when trying a new toothpaste. Also, if you already have a canker sore it makes brushing your teeth really painful. First thing I always do when I get the canker sore is get some toothpaste that is Laurel Sulphate Free. Trust me, this will make a BIG difference. Like This: (link)

2. Next thing you need to know is that you are most likely stuck with them for the next 10 days. If you figure up when you got them and count 10 days in the future, you will probably be all clear by then. This can help you cope with the pain.

3. Next thing, DON'T put that crappy Orabase or other "Sealants" on there. I have found that it only irritates things. The best thing you can do is keep the sore clean and numb it up a bit with some Ambesol before you eat or brush your teeth.

4. I have found that rinsing with Listerine is very effective for killing germs and speeding the healing. It hurts a little immediately but then numbs things up immediately thereafter.

To review: Good toothpaste, Listerine, Ambesol, and 10 days. Good luck.

 

[kbend]

I'm telling ya, Apthasol can change your life.

 

[highbury]

anbesol is amazing, it makes me whole mouth numb

it stings when you apply it, but it becomes a good kind of sting. maybe i'm just weird.

 

[Drunk_Horn]

Kenalog (triamcinolone) in orabase....best **** ever for a canker, but only rx.

if no rx, try Kanka.

 

[TenaciousTgarden]

thank you! i think the toothpaste thing is a good idea - mine is absolutely killing me every time i brush. meanwhile, i just got a new one today. it's hell.
i am going to get anbesol tomorrow, and perhaps try the listerine, although that stuff makes me want to gag even without a sore.

 

[TTUStudent]

powdered Alum.

If you can find this stuff it is great. Hurts like a mofo for a few seconds but makes the sores go away really fast. I get them pretty bad every now and then so I know your pain.

 

[ctrl+alt+del]

I have suffered from these my whole life and I mean I get them REALLY bad and REALLY big - so big I cannot eat. However, 4 years ago, my doctor applied silver nitrate to a particularly bad one I had in the back of my throat. The stuff works VERY well. Have your doctor prescribe you silver nitrate. It comes on wooden applicators sort of like 6" long Q-tips. You dry off the lesion with a towel and then dab the head of the applicator on it thoroughly. I am not going to lie to you, it burns like you have never felt before. You will immediately start to salivate excessively, but do your best to keep the lesion dry for about 3 minutes so the silver nitrate can work for a bit without running off to the rest of your mouth - and it will, so use in moderation. Be careful when applying it to ensure you are only applying it to the affected lesion and not the surrounding tissue because it is poison, afterall. It turns your lesion black when you apply it and you will get a bitter, metallic taste in your mouth. This is the only remedy that has worked for me in my 34 years. Here is a picture, but mine are packaged in envelopes, not a tube:

 

[TenaciousTgarden]

what happens after it turns black? does it just go away? does the burning stop after a few minutes, or is it longer-term? this may be too scary for me - i'm sort of a baby. unfortunately, however, i can't seem to get rid of them completley right now - as soon as one starts to fade, another two pop up. probably because i dont get enough sleep -which i should be doing RIGHT NOW instead of procrastinating on hornfans.

 

[fluff]

In reply to:

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[hookem2102]

Try this:

Just pour some salt on your finger and hold it to the sore. It will burn like all hell but will heal a lot faster.

 

[Smurfette]

Using listerine makes mine go away really quick. usually they're half the size within one day, and gone completely by 3. Since you can't stand the listerine, maybe try dipping a q-tip in the listerine and applying directly to the sore-- but this won't kill the evil sore-seeds camping in the rest of you mouth

 

[pevodog]

I've had them occassionally on and off for 35 years. The very best way to treat and prevent them is by eating a cup of yogurt everyday. The next best way is take l-lycine supplements. Yogurt will knock out the virus in a day or two.

 

[Nebraskan4Texas]

I think you're also supposed to rinse your mouth out with a combination of water and hydrogen peroxide.

 

[arroyo]

Debacterol is the best stuff ever made for canker sores. It burns when you first put it on but the pain stops after about 10 seconds and never comes back. It only takes one application and the sore is gone in about 3 days or so. You can get it from a dentist or a doctor. A bottle of the stuff is kind of high but some dentists will do a treatment for about $5 or so -- at least mine will. I bought some several years ago because my son used to get them all the time. I'm not actually sure if you can buy a bottle of it now or just in little one-time applicators. We switched my son to a toothpaste that doesn't have Sodium Laurel Sulfate and it really cut down on the frequency of the sores.
Here's a link for more information.

 

[ctrl+alt+del]

fluff,

Please understand that these are NOT cold sores but rather canker sores. There is a big difference.

tenacious,

THe burning goes away after about a minute. The lesion will remain black and quite ominous-looking for about a day and then the topical, black tissue will slough off. You will still be left with the lesion, but it will not hurt much and it will not get worse - it will start healing right away.

Because of the harsh detergents in traditional toothpastes and mouthwashes (sodium laureth sulfate), I use Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash. They are expensive, but do not contain that particular active ingredient. Good luck!

 

[lostman]

I, too, get them when stressed - which as a teacher of 7th graders is well...all the time!

Years ago I had them constantly it seemed. My dentist was concerned because it was affecting my teeth greatly. At one point I had a mouthful(more than 20) and went to the dentist. He put a topical on them and gave me a scrip. It was a combination of myrrh and benzoin (at least that is what I remember) You applied it with a q-tip. Like many have said - it burned like @#$*, but the sore was numbed and went away in 2-3 days rather than 8-10 days. Said scrip lasted forever and finally ran out about 2 years ago.

I have since moved and dentist has since moved and I have not had a huge outbreak in a few years. But the few I do get lately are managable with Listerine dabbed directly on them. Toothpaste had only minimal affect on mine, but I do find that if I now rinse with Listerine at the first inkling of one, the outbreak is very tolerable. Also drinking lots and lots of water seems to help.

Good luck.

 

[7Titles]

Its the bacteria in the sore that causes the pain, the white looking stuff. LIsterine and hydrogen peroxide will kill it, stop the pain, and speed healing. I do that about 3 times a day and it seems to speed the healing quite a bit.