Winter is coming, and that means that mouth sore season is here. But were you aware that there are lots of types of oral sores? One kind of mouth sore is defined as the canker sore, and we’ve written an outline here for your educational benefit.
Canker sores are little sores that form inside of the oral cavity, regularly on the cheeks or under the tongue, but also on the lips, gums and roof of the mouth. Generally triggered by insufficient amounts of sleep or high amounts of stress, canker sores regularly appear as whitish yellow cuts with a slightly red border. (Many patients confuse these sores with cold sores; if the sore is inside your mouth, it’s likely a canker sore, and if it’s outside of your oral cavity, it’s most likely a cold sore.)
While canker sores are not infectious, they’re not exactly exciting, and you’ll most likely want to get rid of them as fast as possible because they can be achy. Unfortunately, there’s no treatment for canker sores and they have to go away on their own, so you’ll need to trust your body to work its recovery magic. While you wait, avoid spicy foods, sharp or extra-crunchy foods. You can also try pain relievers if the pain is too uncomfortable.
If you have canker sores that aren’t healing, it would be a good idea to phone our Quincy, Massachusetts, office at 617-328-0099 to pencil in your next visit. Dr. Jurgina Elezi and the team at Coddington Dental will be able to look at your mouth and see if anything serious is occurring.