Can anyone suggest a medicine/treatment for mouth ulcers? (1 Viewer)

[John Pine]

About once every other month I seem to get a mouth or gum ulcer. Most of the time they tend to get quite large and deep. Depending on the size and location, they can be just a nuisance or on occasion extremely painful. Rinsing with hydrogen peroxide does provide some temporary relief. Has anyone else with this malady, found something that works.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Rinse 3-4 times a day with heavily salted water. This is the only "cure" for cankers I have ever found that even remotely works. Luckily, I don't get them that often (every 2-3 years).

 

[John Pine]

Lucky you.......just plain salt water huh? thx

 

[Greg*go]

Yup, just salt water. I use and always suggest warm salt water as well, it's MUCH cheaper then any medicine sold at CVS and is 10 times more effective.

 

[Mike Graham]

Cut down on the sweets maybe? Whenever I eat a lot of chocolate and not enough regular food, I develop these god awful things.

 

[Larry Eshleman]

I am cursed with this same problem. I picked up some Zilactin recently, and it's been helping out a lot (but it does dry out and swell up the affected area).

I used Campho-Phenique (ok) and Abreva (expensive, and does it even work?) in the past.

 

[John Pine]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I have heard diet and stress can play a part in these damn awful things. Heredity I think also plays a part. My grandmother got them, I get them and my son gets them. It sux!

p.s…Campho-Phenique?…..they still make that stuff?! Come to think of it, I think that’s what my g-mother used to use for her canker sores. Even though the bottle clearly states “For External Use Only”!

 

[Shawn C]

The Biotene mouthwash works very well.

 

[Mark Paquette]

I've always just used peroxide & water in a 50/50 ratio. Tastes like crap, but works great. Clears them up in a couple of days.

 

[Leila Dougan]

I use a oral steriod gel called Lidex. It doesn't prevent the sores from forming but it makes them heal quickly, usually within 24 hrs if I start applying it right away.

 

[David Nguyen]

There is actually a lot out there on the internet about canker sores. I suffer from an outbreak every month, due to stress.

They are brought on by a number of factors. I've read that some toothpastes contain an agent that irritates the lining in your mouth, and Rembrandt sells a toothpaste that helps cut down on canker sores. I tried that for awhile, but couldn't justify the expense. Someone mentioned Biotene mouthwash, and that works nicely as well.

As I tend to get them whenever I stress(very often,) I've just accepted the fact that they will pop up, so I stopped spending money on the toothpastes and mouthwashes. A doctor recommended I take Lysine pills, as they help rebuild mouth tissue, etc. But the best bang for the buck solution is the salt water gargling; hurts like heck, but it works.

 

[Gary->dee]

I'd use Listerine mouthwash twice a day, in the morning after breakfast and at night before bed.

 

[John Pine]

I'm not sure which would feel better (sarcasm) salt-water or Listerine?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I don't think the original poster meant what you think. He was talking about internal mouth cankers, not external cold sores.

 

[Todd Hochard]

I have a bad (dumb?) habit of occasionally biting my cheek. On occasion, these open wounds will occasionally flair into what amounts to a canker sore. Painful.

I've found the quickest way to get rid of them is-

1. CLEAN your teeth. I can tell when I'm slacking if I have one of these. Floss, brush, rinse- maybe go for the tongue scraper, too. A nice side effect is that I haven't had a cavity in 13 years.
2. Listerine. No other mouthwash helps me to clear these up quicker. It is INSANELY painful, but after you rinse, it really does feel better.
3. Lay off the junk food. The last time I got one (I cleaned out the easter basket candy:b ), I deserved it.

Prevention is the best medicine. If you're not regularly doing the things I listed, give them a try for a few months, and see if you get any sores during that time. I don't, even when I do bite my cheek (duh).

 

[millercv]

Last time I had a couple they were in very painful spots. I tried Kanka liquid and it worked quite well.

 

[Gary->dee]

Listerine is only painful if you rarely use it. If you use it on a regular basis like me there is no discomfort.

 

[Larry Eshleman]

No, I understood the post. I used to use Campho-Phenique for internal sores in spite of the "external use" notice...my grandmother did the same thing (like his), so that's where I got it from.

Thanks for some of the great ideas in this thread, I'll have to try out some of these suggestions.

 

[Scott Strang]

When you do get them Orabase paste will cover and numb them good. You'll feel nothing.

I used to eat bacteria pills to prevent them and it rarely worked.

Now I take Zantac 75 (over counter) every morning and haven't gotten them in rougly 6 years.

 

[Scott Strang]

{quote]Listerine is only painful if you rarely use it. If you use it on a regular basis like me there is no discomfort. [/quote]

I use it daily and the burn is part of the appeal to me.