mouth ulcer

[emailer]

what exactly is it, how do they come about and how can i stop myself getting them repeatedly!!

[DMAC1144]

I get these all the time too! My uncle has had them his whole life and has tried so many 'cures but nothing has worked. There a whole bunch of explanations as to why you can get them. Too much tea, coffee, late nights, spicy food, unhealthy living, not bushing your teeth regularly, stress....the list goes on and on. I went to the dentist last December to get a tooth removed and it was a very difficult extraction, took over an hour to remove as she drilled and picked at it. Anyway, I ended up getting 8 ulcers at once! The dentist told me it was probably the stress that my mouth went under that made it break out. The worst thing was that it was a week before Christmas......not the most pleasant Christmas dinner I've ate. I'm I ever going to get to the point....... I think what you should do is try and think of something that you have all the time and try cutting it out, it may be that one thing that's causing them. Other than that just make sure you have instead gel handy because if you feel one coming on it will go away much quicker if you treat it straight away. Good luck, Dave

[darth vader]

ha ha funny you should ask this as i just got back from the doctors the other day with the same problem, so can give 'expert advice' based on his diagnosis. As DMAC1144 suggests there are many reasons why we get them - stress, dental work, eating habits (acidic/spicy food are the biggest culprits), alcohol, generally 'feeling run down' i.e. a bout of flu or fever etc. If you get a burst of them on the tongue then you need hydrocortisone pellets - not sure if they require a prescription - the chemist had me buy them over the counter as they were half the price of the standard prescription but i'm not sure that means you can buy them without a prescription (guess the only way is to go to Boots and ask) - anyway they work wonders and the ulcers subside within 24 hours. Don't buy the over-the-counter mouth lozenges as they just numb your tongue and you end up biting it and then later the tongue hurts like hell which defeats the point. To prevent them long term then a daily wash with a decent mouthwash (corsodyl for example - can be bought over the counter) that isn't just some anti smelly breath stuff, but is a proper anti-bacterial mouthwash

[tracymort]

try avoiding toothpaste containing sodium laureth (lauryl)sulphate. you can find natural toothpastes at health shops and sometimes sainsburys. I like the green people brand the best. http://www.greenpeople-organic-health.co.uk " (sls) is an anionic surfactant used as a cleanser and foaming agent in a wide range of shampoos, bubble-baths, liquid soaps and toothpastes. It is a known skin irritant and may cause sensitisation when used over a period of time. The molecular structure of SLS is small enough to allow it to penetrate to the lower layers of the skin where it is most irritating." my partner suffered from mouth ulcers but since switching toothpastes he has had none!

[Janetex]

If you can afford the best quality echinacea, it is a good preventative. Mellaluca honey sold as a "health product" is a good treatment.

[ProperBoPeep]

I feel I may be a bit late replying to this one - I suffer hugely from mouth ulcers and have decided that there is no prevention only early treatment. BY FAR THE BEST THING I've found to treat them is a topical preparation called Adcortyl which sticks to you lip all night (and makes you a minger to snog!) However - you need to apply it rigidly as soon as you get that "feeling" that one is on its way and treat for about 5 days after you think its gone so as to make sure.