Where Do Canker Sores Come From And How to Treat Them

What Causes Canker Sores? 

Canker sores are a common problem that can happen to anyone at any time and any age. Even though they are just a little nuisance, it can still ruin anyone’s day. Thankfully, the most common canker sores (also known as simple cankers) occur in children between the ages of eight and seventeen. They generally appear inside the person’s mouth right behind the lip because of nutritional deficiency, an overbite, among other reasons.

These are small round-shaped ulcers with a yellowish tone and a red ring that surrounds them, and they can get unbearable when having to eat, drink, speak, or even floss and brush. 

You can see and detect a few common factors beforehand to prevent yourself and anyone from developing these pesky sores. The following are some causes that can lead to canker sores: 

1. Poor immune system
2. Foods like fruits and vegetables
3. Injuries or accidents 
4. Stress
5. Nutritional deficiency
6. Vitamin deficiency
7. Sharp objects like brackets

Since many factors can contribute to and produce these troublesome sores, dentists and doctors alike can help reduce their development or eliminate them by following just a few helpful tips to prevent you from experiencing this oral issue.

How Long Do Canker Sores Last In Our Mouths?

We understand how annoying canker sores can be. Some might even say that they are like small bruises inside our mouths that can last right around one to two weeks. 

Canker sores can appear anywhere around the mouth behind your lips or your teeth. This can be the leading reason for sores to develop in a specific area for some people as they tend to have sharper teeth than others, so it can cause these sores by constantly tugging and rubbing against their cheeks and tongue.

These sores generally fade away within two weeks without any treatment, medications, or other over-the-counter solutions or on-the-go products. Even though they help typically reduce and potentially alleviate this issue, you can expect those pesky canker sores to disappear independently.

The amount of time canker sores stay in the mouth vary depending on the persons following characteristics or requirements:

• Diet
• Age
• Allergies
• Oral care habits

Though canker sores are a common medical condition that affects our mouths’ membranes, also known as mucous, the first canker sores start appearing during teenage years. Even though it is still unclear how or why they appear in our mouths, researchers state that they link to these factors:

• Nutritional deficiencies 
• Hormone changes
• Mouth injuries

So canker sores healing timeline is still a little unclear. Nevertheless, we can always, without a doubt, treat them and reduce the impact they have on our lives since over twenty percent of the world’s population experiences canker sores throughout the year.

How To Deal With Canker Sores?

Here are a few life hacks you can implement to reduce the chance of developing canker sores or, at the very least, reduce the time they are in your mouth to halt canker sores right in their troublesome tracks.

1. First and foremost, you should seek help from a dentist or local doctor to treat canker sores using their expertise and follow their instructions; most health specialists prescribe corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation that causes them to enlarge.
2. Another way of dealing with canker sores is by numbing them with over-the-counter topical anesthetics like benzocaine or lidocaine. Your dentist or doctor can also let you know where the sore’s location is to tackle it directly with the help of a gel, rinse, or paste, whichever suits you best.
3. The reliable technique of rinse and repeat never goes out of style; try using one tablespoon of baking soda and half a warm water cup to reduce the burning sensation and relieve the pain, plus speeding the healing process.
4. Gently flossing and brushing can also help reduce the chances of developing canker sores. While you brush your teeth, you can accidentally jab your cheeks or gums with the plastic surface of the brush setting the base for canker sore development.
5. You can also reduce stress and anxiety episodes by practicing helpful exercises and breathing exercises that can decrease canker sores’ creation. Some researchers and specialists found that stress directly links to the inflammation throughout our body’s potentially triggering canker sores. 
6. Trying to consume enough vitamins and minerals throughout the day can become quite the task; not getting enough vitamin B or C, iron, and zinc can increment the risk of being much more susceptible to canker sores.

Most people have gone through it without really knowing where they came from. And in most cases, we just decide to ignore it (something that it’s quite impossible) and endure the pain for the whole two weeks. 

But considering these helpful tips can help you fight off canker sores or at least help you cope with the irritating pain. Canker sores can be viewed as another way your body communicates with you and gives you signs of alert. Please pay attention to these signals since they could indicate that your body needs or is being affected by something.

Try to practice better oral care routines; your oral health should always be one of your main priorities as it plays a vital role in your everyday life. Floss once a day, brush twice a day, and use mouth wash. Do not hesitate to contact your dentist if there’s something that worries you, even if it’s the slightest detail, give them a call just to make sure. You could be preventing something more severe.

Trust Dental Care is always here if you want to get more information about this issue. Give us a call or book an appointment for a dental check-up. No problem is ever too little, and taking precautions even with something as common as canker sores, can turn out to be an excellent decision for your future well being.