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All About Mouth Sores

Even though mouth stores are so small, they can cause miserable pain when you are trying to eat or drink something. The most common kinds of mouth sores are cold sores and canker sores, which are caused by different things.

  • Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus and are extremely contagious. Before you get a cold sore, your mouth might start to tingle or burn. Once your cold sore pops up, it will be a blister until it crusts over. Cold sores usually are set off by fever-induced illness, hormonal changes, stress or sun exposure.
  • Canker sores are very different from cold sores because they are not contagious. No one really knows the exact cause of canker sores, but some speculate they might appear because of a weakened immune system, hormonal changes, lack of certain vitamins in your diet or stress. They show up as a single or cluster of pale or yellow sores with a red outer ring.

Your mouth sore should go away within 10-14 days. even if you don’t do anything to treat it. If you want your mouth pain to go away sooner, which you probably do, here are some tips on how to treat your mouth sore:

  • For canker sores, apply a paste of baking soda and water to it.
  • Rub ice on the mouth sore, or eat a popsicle.
  • Gargle with salt water or cool water.
  • When the mouth sore first shows up, apply over-the-counter medications, such as Orajel or Blistex.
  • Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.

The Lakeway Center for Cosmetic and Family Dentistry is here to help you with all of your oral health issues. If you are in need of dental services, contact our friendly, experienced staff today and set-up your appointment.