Canker sores, or aphthous ulcers, are tiny shallow lesions that grow at the base of gums or soft tissues. They are very different from cold sores in the mouth. They are not transmittable/contagious, plus they don’t develop on the outer surface of the lips.
However, canker sores in the mouth can be very painful and can make talking and eating difficult. These mostly recover on their own. It takes one to two weeks for them to go away. But certain methods can decrease the discomfort and treat them faster.
Before moving towards the treatment options let’s find out what are the various types and how they occur.
How Many Types of Canker Sores are There?
There are 3 major types of canker sores:
1. Minor or Simple Canker Sores
Minor canker sores are the most common types of mouth sores. However, these mouth sores can be painful. They generally recover by themselves within one to two weeks and leave no scar inside the mouth. Some of the symptoms of minor canker sores are:
- They are small and develop into oval-shaped bumps.
- They often cause burning and tingling sensations.
- They can be painful while drinking, eating, or even speaking.
- Initially they occur as small red lumps and within 2 to 3 days, the lump turns whitish with a hole inside it.
2. Major or Complex Canker Sores
Major canker sores, unlike minor sores, are less common among people and can lead to severe problems. They don’t recover easily and take about four weeks to go away. They also leave scars inside the mouth. Such mouth ulcer symptoms are:
- They are large and develop into round-shaped bumps.
- They often cause burning, tingling, and inflammation in the area.
- People with major canker sores have difficulty drinking, eating, and talking.
3. Herpetiform Canker Sores
Such mouth sores rarely develop in the mouth. These affect about 5% of the population. In some cases, they can form together and create clusters inside the mouth. This type of canker sore takes many weeks to go away and leaves bad scars inside the mouth. Some of the symptoms associated with herpetiform canker sores are:
- They are small in size and develop into pinhead-shaped bumps that later develop into clusters.
- They often cause a burning or tingling sensation in the mouth.
- They can be more painful while drinking, chewing food, or speaking.
What Develops Canker Sores?
Health experts are yet to find out the causes of mouth ulcers. However, they have discovered some of the factors that trigger the development of such mouth sores. These factors include:
- Stress leads to mental issues.
- Any kind of injury inside the mouth.
- Consumption of acidic foods like citrus fruits.
- Dental appliances, like ill-fitting dentures or braces.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen.
Complex canker sores can develop in people who have conditions associated with the immune system, including:
- Behcet’s disease
- Lupus
- AIDS
- Ulcerative colitis
- Celiac disease
- Crohn’s disease
Canker sore causes are also associated with nutritional deficiencies in zinc, iron, vitamin B-12, and folic acid.
What are the Most Effective Home Remedies for Canker Sores?
Canker sore treatments include topical anaesthetics, like benzocaine, and mouthwashes containing peroxide, dexamethasone, or chlorhexidine. Some of the home remedies for mouth sores include:
1. Alum powder
One of the best home remedies for mouth ulcers is alum powder, which is made from potassium aluminium sulphate. Alum powder is generally used for preserving food and to pickle fruits and vegetables. This powder contains astringent properties that can help to shrink tissues & dry out mouth ulcers.
How to use:
- Make a paste by combining a few drops of water with a small quantity of alum powder.
- Dab the mixture on the canker sores inside your mouth.
- Leave it to dry out for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Wash your mouth thoroughly with water.
- Repeat this every day until they are gone.
2. Saltwater wash
Another canker sore home remedy includes washing your mouth with warm salted water. Although it can be a little painful, it is good for drying out the canker sores in your mouth.
How to use:
- Mix one tablespoon of salt with warm water in a cup.
- Swirl this mixture in your mouth for fifteen to thirty seconds.
- Once the water has cooled down inside your mouth, spit it out.
- You can repeat this after 3 to 4 hours again.
3. Baking soda
Baking Soda is a wonderful ingredient that has several applications in our daily life. But did you know that Baking Soda can help to treat this condition as well? Well, Baking soda helps to reduce inflammation and restore pH levels, which might help to treat canker sores.
How to use:
- Mix one teaspoon of baking soda into 1 cup of water.
- Swirl this mixture inside your mouth for fifteen to thirty seconds.
- Spit the mixture out and repeat it after a few hours.
Do not worry if you mistakenly swallow it. Although it can be super salty, it will not harm you in any way.
4. Yoghurt
What exactly causes canker sores in mouths is still unknown. Some of them can be caused by a bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori or inflammatory bowel disease. In such cases, consuming yoghurt can work best.
It is loaded with live probiotic cultures that can help to get rid of canker sores. All you have to do is to eat one bowl of yoghurt every day until they are gone. However, more studies are needed to support this claim.
5. Honey
Another home remedy for mouth sores is honey. Honey is popular for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial abilities. Some studies have shown that honey is very helpful in reducing the pain, redness, and size of canker sores. It can also protect you from secondary infections.
You can apply honey on the canker sores inside your mouth four to five times every day. However, you must not purchase honey from local stores. They are mostly pasteurised, which would do no good in reducing your mouth sores. Rather, go for unfiltered and unpasteurized honey, as their healing properties are much stronger than those that are processed and filtered.
Conclusion
Having canker sores inside the mouth can be extremely painful and uncomfortable. Many factors can cause mouth sores. However, the right reason hasn’t been found yet. They generally heal on their own and don’t require any treatment. Although, there are some home remedies that one can use for mouth ulcer treatments.
