Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentistry

The Pain of Canker Sores

Monday, April 14, 2008

What are Canker Sores?

Aphthous ulcers, also known as canker sores, usually pop up inside the mouth and look like little white round craters with red borders. They can appear on the tongue, gums, cheeks, and inner lips. This is different from cold sores, which appear on the outer part of the lips and corners of the mouth. Canker sores are typically nothing to worry about and usually heal on their own within a few days to a couple of weeks. To ease discomfort while you heal, you may suck on an ice cube, rinse with salt water, or water mixed with equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide. We don’t exactly know what causes canker sores; however, we know that they are associated one or more of the following: stress, trauma, vitamin, and/or nutrient deficiencies. The most common deficiencies are caused by low levels of vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, or C, and nutrients such as Zinc, Folic Acid, Iron, Selenium, and Calcium.

There are steps you can take to avoid canker sores in the future. Keep your immune system up and running during stressful times. Get plenty of rest and exercise and try to eat a healthy well balanced diet. If you don’t always eat healthy, consider taking a daily multi-vitamin.

We can help to relieve the pain associated with these ulcers with the use of a Diode Laser. It is painless and takes 20 minutes. If the sores are attended to early, healing will be quicker and less traumatic. If you find that your canker sores are occurring unusually regularly and not healing, we can help! Please call our office at (561) 394-9000 for an appointment. As always, you can reach us at www.drmogell.com.
Katherine Danias, R.D.H., BA,

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.