I had one last week and let me tell you, it was quite painful.

It was on the inside area of my lower lip. When I woke up that morning, I couldn’t understand why it hurt so much to slightly move my lower lip.

The diagnosis: Canker Sore, or if you want to get technical…Apthous Ulcer.

The following is a case study on canker sores…mine in this case.

Q: What did it look like?

A: Whitish-yellow, surrounded by a red area. Mine was about three millimeters. Most are normally less than one centimeter.

Q: What caused it?

A: In my case, it was most probably trauma from tooth brushing, as I recall looking back on it. But, canker sores can be caused by stress, menstrual periods, hormonal fluctuations, food allergies, and a lack of certain vitamins and minerals (namely iron, folic acid, vitamin B12).

Q: How long did it last?

A: Mine was typical of most…the pain lasted for about 7 – 10 days and it took about three weeks for it to completely heal.

Q: What did I do to relieve the pain and to get it to heal?

A: Personally, I didn’t do anything for it, aside from avoiding anything too hot or spicy.

But, it is recommended to rinse with a mild mouth rinse or salt water. You can even apply a small amount of Milk of Magnesia to it a few times a day. This can be quite soothing.

There are times when I give my patients who have a canker sore a prescription to aid in healing it and to relieve the pain.

Did You Know?

• Women get canker sores more often than men.
• A canker sore is different from a Cold Sore (Fever Blister).
• A canker sore is not cancer.

My canker sore went away after about 10 days, but had it lasted longer than about two weeks, I would have got it checked out to rule out any possible cancerous lesion.

Just remember; there’s no over-night remedy. Healing takes time and I’m not just talking about canker sores 🙂

Get to know Dr. Axelrad and make your next dental visit a positive experience. Call us today at (905) 791-3867 or visit us at Bestgate Professional Center, 40 Finchgate Boulevard, Suite 121, Brampton, Ontario. New patients, walk-ins and Emergencies are always welcome.