How are mouth ulcers treated? I have figured ways on how to heal ulcer in mouth without seeing a medical expert. Canker sores or mouth ulcer isn’t good for your oral health.
Sometimes, having ulcers in the mouth can be irritating and unpleasant, this is why you need to take all preventive and corrective measures to treat ulcer in mouth.
Healing an ulcer or sores in the mouth isn’t really a hard nut to crack so far you know the right thing to do.
Moreover, mouth ulcers are harmless and resolve by themselves in 7 to 10 days without the need for treatment or professional help.
Our top picks for medicated products with proven results to heal mouth ulcers and canker sores
Table of Contents
If you want to learn more about mouth sores, continue reading the entire article. If you are looking for a summary of medicated products that help relief and heal mouth sores, we recommend the following below.
Make sure before you apply the product you dry the sore area by breathing cool air quickly over it and/or using a tissue. This helps makes the products more successful in pain relief and healing as it does not get diluted by saliva on contact with the area that is sore. All products below can be used on your tongue, gums and mouth.
Kank-A Mouth Mouth Pain Liquid
Great solution if you’re looking for a product just for yourself (no sharing with others!). It includes an applicator to help reach those awkward / hard to reach places in your mouth. Kank-A will form a protective layer around the sore, numb, relieve pain and promote healing. It definitely works!
DenTemp Canker Cover
If you are looking for something more sharable with your family members or others, then DenTemp is worth considering! It has 6 tablets which you need to hold onto the pain for at least 10 seconds (I recommend 30 seconds) in order for it to stick and start forming a protective layer. There are reviews of this not sticking, this is because people are not drying the area that is sore prior to application (it is ok for saliva to touch it after you’ve applied).
DenTemp Canker Cover will form a protective layer, pain relieve and promote healing.
Bonjella
Bonjella is a very popular product overseas in UK and Australia. It comes in a tube and if each member of your household is hygienic, it can be stored in the fridge and shared when each person in the family gets a mouth sore or ulcer. It also forms a protective layer, pain relives and promotes healing.
If you want to use items at home to help heal a mouth ulcur
If you don’t have time to wait for delivery, the traditional home remedies include:
- Diluting salt into warm water and rinsing your mouth with it
- Diluting baking soda into tap water and rinsing your mouth with it
- Applying salt directly on the mouth ulcer (this will definitely hurt)
- Use mouthwash if you have any
What is Mouth Ulcer?
Mouth ulcers popularly known as canker sores or mouth sores are normally small, painful oral abrasion that develops in the inside of your mouth or at the base of your gums.
These ulcers generally occur on the softer part of the mouth which is the mouth lining of the lips, around the cheeks, both sides of the tongue, the floor of the mouth and back of the palate and tonsil area.
Before talking about how to heal ulcer in mouth, let’s see some of the symptoms of ulcer in mouth.
What are the Symptoms of Mouth Ulcers?
These are the symptoms of an ulcer in the mouth which solely depends on the cause and they include:
One or more painful sores on part of the skin lining the mouth
When you start experiencing unusual sores any part of the skin lining in your mouth, there’s a possibility that you have an ulcer in mouth and should be treated.
Swollen skin around the sores
Another symptom of mouth ulcers is when you have swollen skin around the sores in your mouth. This can be painful especially when you come in contact with hot or peppery foods.
Problems with chewing or tooth brushing because of the tenderness
Using a hard toothbrush on the softest part of your mouth can lead to abrasion of the gums. This is why you need to always brush with soft-bristled manual toothbrushes whenever you brush.
Whenever you brush, do not go too hard on your gums because not only will it lead to mouth sores, it can also lead to gum recession.
Irritation of the sores by salty, spicy or sour foods
Eating foods with a lot of spices especially pepper, salt, etc can generate sores in your mouth because it can also lead to more pains if you already have ulcers in the mouth.
Loss of appetite
Occasional loss of appetite can lead to ulcers in the mouth. The mouth may become dehydrated as a result of lack of chewing activities. This may, in turn, lead to dryness of the mouth which causes some bacteria to strive.
Before I talk about how to heal mouth ulcer in your mouth, you need to know that Mouth ulcers aren’t contagious and usually go away within one or two weeks tops.
However, if you get a mouth sore that is very painful and large, or if it lingers for a long time without going away, you should seek the advice of a physician ASAP.
What are the Causes of mouth ulcers
According to Better health, Mouth ulcers can be caused by a wide range of factors including:
- accidental biting of the inside of your cheek
- injury from a toothbrush (such as slipping while brushing)
- constant rubbing against misaligned or sharp teeth
- constant rubbing against dentures or braces
- poor oral hygiene
- burns from eating hot food
- irritation from strong antiseptics, such as an alcoholic mouthwash
- oral thrush infection
- viral infections
- reaction to certain medications
- skin rashes in the mouth (for example, lichen planus)
9 Ways on How to Heal Ulcer in Mouth: A step by step Guide
Avoid eating spicy, acidic and sour foods
Until the ulcers heal completely, please stay away from peppery or salty foods. It has been discovered to trigger pains when you have mouth sores.
Always drink plenty of water
You have to stay hydrated, always take a lot of water. Having much fluid in your mouth helps to heal ulcer in mouth and prevent future occurrence of the same.
Regularly rinse your mouth out with warm, slightly salted water
Regularly swish and rinse your mouth with warm water. This warm water mixed with salt helps to heal mouth ulcers in record time.
Keep your mouth clean
Always keep your mouth clean and free from bacteria. Some mouth ulcer-causing bacteria cannot strive in a clean mouth. Always brush properly day and night
Take pain-relieving medications
Pain reliever such as paracetamol can help to reduce the pain and fevers associated with mouth ulcers. It keeps the pain down and also keeps your temperature down.
Use and apply antiseptic gel or mouthwash or ointment to the ulcers.
There are specific mouthwashes and ointments for mouth ulcers, get them and apply them in the affected area. But, if symptoms still continue after 10 days, report to your physician.
We recommend the following products for pain relief and healing. They all provide:
- pain relief
- protective layer
- promotes fast healing
One important tip for all three of them is to make sure you dry the area where you want to apply the medication to (tongue, gum, mouth). You do this by breathing cold air quickly in and out and/or using a tissue to dry. The area needs to be dry for the medication to be most effective so that your saliva does not dilute it and allows the protective layer to form. It’s ok for your saliva to come in contact with the sore area after you’ve applied it.
Kank-A Mouth Mouth Pain Liquid
Kank-A Mouth Pain Liquid is very popular for canker sore and mouth pain relief. It contains benzocaine which helps with pain relief of ulcers or canker sores in the mouth. The other bonus feature this product has is an applicator so you can reach the back of your mouth or awkward areas beneath your tongue (it’s easier than using a finger).
Be aware, there will be numbness to the area you apply it to. Also please do not share this with other people. It’s just for you to use due to the single use nature of the applicator.
You can use this on your gums, tongue and mouth.
If you’re looking for something more family friendly, consider the other products below.
DenTemp Canker Cover
Looking for something that can be shared and used by multiple family members? DenTemp Canker Cover is just for you! It contains 6 tablets which help form a protective layer over the sore and reliefs pain. They claim to heal as fast as 1 day, but that’s in the best case scenario. The tablet, when held for 10 seconds is meant to then start forming a protective layer so please do not chew or swallow!
You will see reviews of people saying it does not stick, but this is because they did not dry the area / sore (quick cool breathing in your mouth) before trying to apply the tablet! If you keep the area dry as you put the tablet and then let saliva naturally wet the area again, it will stick (just make sure you press and hold for the recommended 10 seconds. Personally I’d hold it for 30 so the tablet is hitting the dry area whilst slowly getting wet by your saliva to help it stick)
Once it’s on, it gives you up to 12 hours of pain relief whilst promoting healing. Best to put it on overnight too. It’s cool mint flavour will make it easy to have it in your mouth.
Bonjella
Bonjella is a popular product in the UK and Australia. It has similar functionality to Kank-A Mouth Pain Liquid. It numbs, cools and promotes healing of sores, ulcers and canker sores. The benefit of Bonjella is that it is in a tube and you can fridge this and share it with your family (provided they do not touch the product with their saliva or dirty hands).
Once again, make sure the area of the sore is dry before you apply it (quick breathing of cool air and/or use a tissue).
Use an alcohol-free medicated mouthwash
Always use an alcohol-free mouthwash containing chlorhexidine gluconate to rinse and swish your mouth morning and night.
Do not use mouthwash with a harsh taste of feel. Use a mouth rinse that contains a steroid to reduce pain and swelling.
Our top 3 non-alcoholic mouthwashes as outlined here include:
PerioSciences AO ProVantage Dental Gel – 30ml Natural Mint Flavor for Healthy Oral Care
PerioSciences’ mouthwash contains antioxidants which helps regulate saliva’s acidic properties and defensive capabilities.
CloSYS Ultra Sensitive Mouthwash, 32 Ounce (Pack of 2)
CloSYS’s mouthwash aims to reduce bacteria which is one of the causes of mouth ulcers. It is also pH balanced which again will reduce bacteria growth.
Essential Oxygen BR Certified Organic Brushing Rinse, All Natural Mouthwash
If you are looking for something that is organic then you can consider Essential Oxygen’s Organic brushing rinse!
Take nutritional supplements
Eating foods or taking nutritional supplements that contains vitamins like folic acid, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 are good to treat mouth ulcers quickly.
Our recommended ones are:
Bronson Organic Folic Acid
Nature’s Bounty Vitamin B6
Vitafusion Extra Strength Vitamin B12
Use natural remedies
Trying natural remedies such as chamomile tea, echinacea, and licorice root can help you heal that ulcer in your mouth the natural way. The ones we recommend are:
Buddha Teas Chamomile Flower Tea
Nature’s Way Echinacea Purpurea Herb
NusaPure’s DGL Licorice Extract
How long does mouth ulcer take to heal
Mouth ulcers do not take a long time to heal, most normal mouth ulcers can heal between 3 to 7 days of treatment.
Wrapping up
Now that you have learned how to heal ulcer in mouth, to prevent future occurrence of mouth ulcers, you need to always brush properly with a soft-bristled brush.
Do not starve yourself for any reason. Make sure you eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet.
Do not fail to visit your Dentist for professional advice if symptoms persist.
Also Read: 5 Important Purpose of Mouth Care for Kids, Teens, and Adults
