Canker Sores: Causes and Comfort

What Are Canker Sores?

Canker sores, medically known as aphthous ulcers, are small, shallow lesions that develop on the soft tissues inside your mouth or at the base of your gums. Unlike cold sores, which appear on the outside of the lips and are caused by a highly contagious virus, canker sores occur strictly inside the mouth and are not contagious.

A typical canker sore is round or oval with a white or yellowish center and a distinct red, inflamed border. They often cause a sharp, stinging pain that can make eating, drinking, or even talking difficult.

Common Triggers for Canker Sores

The exact, underlying cause of canker sores remains unclear, but medical researchers believe that outbreaks are usually triggered by a combination of several factors acting together in a susceptible individual:

• Minor Mouth Trauma: A minor injury to the inside of your mouth is a common trigger. This could be from accidentally biting your cheek, overzealous tooth brushing, a slip of the toothbrush, sharp foods (like hard chips), or irritation from dental work or braces.
• Toothpastes and Mouthwashes: Products containing sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a common foaming agent, can strip the protective lining of the mouth and trigger sores in sensitive individuals.
• Dietary Sensitivities: Highly acidic foods (citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes), spicy foods, chocolate, coffee, and nuts are known culprits that can aggravate the oral mucosa.
• Nutritional Deficiencies: A diet lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron, makes the oral tissue more susceptible to breakdown.
• Emotional Stress: High levels of stress or anxiety are frequently linked to recurrent outbreaks.
• Hormonal Shifts: Many women notice that canker sores frequently appear during specific phases of their menstrual cycle.

When to Seek Treatment

Most minor canker sores heal on their own without medical intervention within one to two weeks. During this time, you can manage the discomfort by avoiding spicy, salty, or acidic foods that burn the sore, and by gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water or a baking soda solution.

However, you should seek professional medical treatment if you experience:

• Unusually large canker sores (greater than 1 cm in diameter).
• Multiple sores appearing in clusters.
• Sores that persist for more than two weeks without healing.
• Pain that is severe enough to prevent you from eating or drinking normally.
• Sores accompanied by a high fever, sluggishness, or swollen lymph nodes.

How We Can Help

If you have a large, unusually painful canker sore that is making it difficult to eat or drink, don't just endure the pain. Under Ontario's minor ailment prescribing program, our certified pharmacists at Ultima Pharmacy can assess the lesion and prescribe specific, highly effective treatments.

We can prescribe antimicrobial mouth rinses (like chlorhexidine) to prevent secondary infection, or potent topical corticosteroid pastes (like triamcinolone dental paste) that adhere to the wet inside of the mouth. These prescription pastes act as a protective bandage, immediately reducing severe inflammation, numbing the sharp pain, and significantly speeding up the healing process so you can eat comfortably again. Stop by our North York clinic today for a quick, free assessment.