Mouth Ulcer Treatment

No matter how healthy you are, chances are you've experienced some form of mouth ulcer in your life. It is simply too hard not to get mouth ulcers, from the ubiquitous canker sore to the humiliating cold sore. Any lesion or break in the mucous lining in the mouth can result in an oral ulcer and it is rare to find somebody who has never bitten their cheek or lip. Perhaps because of our widespread susceptibility to mouth ulcers of all kinds, there are countless methods and remedies espoused by countless folks regarding mouth ulcer treatments. Here are the ones that seem to work the best.

Rinsing:

Immediately after you get a mouth ulcer, it is recommended that you wash your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash at least twice a day for two days. This will help to ensure that you don't invite further infection during the time that your mouth is unprotected and at risk. Some people recommend an Epsom salt rinse which basically works under the same theory.

Over the Counter:

Topical analgesics are great to numb the pain but sometimes the effects don't last particularly long, especially when the medication is in gel form. An analgesic lozenge, which dissolves in the mouth, sometimes makes the effects last longer. Ibuprofen, whether rubbed on the sore or ingested, has also been shown to help ease pain as well as reducing swelling. If the problem is not a canker sore but in fact a cold sore, you will need to buy a medication that is specifically intended to treat cold sores. The reason for this is because cold sores are actually a form of herpes. Chapped lips, though, can lead to mouth ulcers on the lips so try to keep some Chapstick or lip balm handy so that you can ward off infections and bacteria. If it is limited to the inside of your mouth, some petroleum jelly rubbed onto the affected area has been shown to help rebuild the mucous lining in the mouth and soothe the pain.

If it persists for over three weeks, it may be a sign of something worse than a simple canker sore, like oral cancer. Thus, it is absolutely imperative that you seek medical help before the problem becomes worse and possibly untreatable. Fortunately, the odds are against anything this severe and you will likely be free of your oral ulcer in less than a week. The mouth is an incredibly fast-healing body part and it can handle most anything that is thrown at it, including mouth ulcers.

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