There are numerous causes of inflammation of the tissues of the mouth, ranging from lesions to cold sores to gingivitis. However, there are several ways to treat inflammation caused by ulcers and other oral disorders. Also, you can practice some remedies to reduce pain and discomfort.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Treating Mouth Ulcers
Step 1. Find out about this disorder
It is one of the most common causes of mouth inflammation. These lesions, also called canker sores, can take on different sizes and appearances and are caused by a variety of factors. They can also be the result of cold sores, cancer, yeast infections, tobacco use, medications, fungal infections, injuries, and even systemic diseases.
See your doctor or dentist if these ulcers are painful and last longer than 10 days
Step 2. Avoid certain types of foods and drinks
Mouth ulcers are painful and can last anywhere from five to fourteen days. By eliminating certain foods and drinks, you can better heal inflammation, reduce pain, and speed up your recovery time. In particular, you should avoid hot drinks and certain foods such as salty, spicy or those containing sour substances such as citrus fruits; these are all elements that increase the irritation of the tissues of the oral cavity.
Therefore, give up hot coffee or tea, red chillies, foods containing cayenne pepper or chili powder, too salty soups and broths, fruits such as oranges and grapefruits
Step 3. Treat ulcers caused by tobacco use
They are also called aphthous ulcers; these are irritations that can be cured simply by reducing or eliminating all tobacco products. If, on the other hand, you persist in using them, the lesions take a long time to heal and continue to form.
Step 4. Treat yeast infections
Those that affect the mouth can lead to thrush on the tongue, which is caused by a fungus of the genus Candida, the same one that can proliferate in the vagina. Thrush can cause an inflammatory response and pain in the mouth; it can also cause ulcers. To recover from this ailment it is necessary to get a prescription from the doctor.
Medicines can be taken by healthy adults and children for 10-14 days; they are generally in liquid form, in tablets or balsamic candies. However, those with weak immune systems need different treatments
Step 5. Treat drug-induced ulcers
There are some medicines, such as anticancer medicines, that can cause mouth ulcers. They work by killing cells that grow rapidly, but not just cancer cells; this means that they can also destroy those of the oral cavity, which grow and replicate rapidly. These ulcers are painful and can last longer than two weeks.
To treat iatrogenic lesions, it is sometimes necessary to take topical pain relievers to apply directly to the ulcers. They work by numbing the mouth, so you need to be cautious when eating or brushing your teeth after application
Step 6. Take care of mouth ulcers in general
If you are unsure of the cause of the sores that have formed in your mouth, you should follow some general guidelines to reduce pain and discomfort. In addition to the techniques you can use to treat and prevent certain types of ulcers, you can also:
- Apply substances to protect injuries and minimize the pain you feel when you eat or drink
- Avoid crunchy or sharp foods, such as chips, crackers, and pretzels
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol, because it can irritate the already suffering mouth; this applies to both alcoholic beverages and mouthwashes or mouth sprays that contain alcohol;
- Eating smaller but more frequent meals and cutting food into smaller bites to reduce irritation of the oral cavity
- Talk to the medical team to find specific foam swabs for oral hygiene to help reduce irritation if it is too difficult to brush.
Part 2 of 5: Taking Medication for Mouth Ulcers
Step 1. Take pain relievers
Over-the-counter pain medications can help reduce inflammation and discomfort caused by oral injuries. Try a medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen; it does not necessarily cure ulcers, but relieves pain during recovery.
- You can also take topical medication to apply directly to the painful area.
- Use medications for children and adults in accordance with the directions.
Step 2. Treat ulcers with over-the-counter medications
There is a wide range of different medicines to treat this ailment. Topical corticosteroid preparations, such as triamcinolone paste (Kenacort), can soothe lesions on the lips or gums. Other products, such as those in the Blistex line, can provide pain relief from canker sores and cold sores.
These drugs are most effective if they are applied at the first sign of an ulcer
Step 3. Take prescription medications
If you have a serious condition accompanied by mouth ulcers, you need to get stronger medications from your doctor. Your doctor may point out some, such as acyclovir (Zovirax) or penciclovir (Vectavir), which help reduce healing times by half a day. They also act by decreasing the pain associated with the inflammatory response.
If you have severe herpetic lesions, your doctor may prescribe oral antiviral medications to treat stomatitis due to the herpes simplex virus. Among these are aciclovir, valaciclovir and famciclovir
Part 3 of 5: Treating Injuries Caused by Dental Disease
Step 1. Learn about gingivitis
Gingivitis and periodontitis are irritation and infections of the gum tissue that cause an inflammatory response and pain. The former occurs when plaque is not properly eliminated from the teeth, leading to the development of harmful bacteria, which in turn causes redness, swelling and even bleeding of the gums. Periodontitis leads to gingival detachment, thus forming a space or pocket that can become infected further.
Bacterial toxins and the body's natural immune response can break down the connective tissue between the gums and bone, causing pain and inflammation
Step 2. Get infections under control
The correct treatment for inflammation caused by gingivitis or periodontitis depends on the severity of the situation. The main goal is to control the infection that triggers the inflammation. However, any treatment requires adequate oral hygiene practices to be followed at home, including:
- Use dental floss every day;
- Brush your teeth twice a day;
- Reduce the consumption of alcohol and mouthwashes that contain it;
- Reduce the amount of sugar in food.
Step 3. Treat the infection
To do this, the dentist will need to remove the plaque with a deep cleaning to reduce inflammation. After the procedure, you may experience some bleeding and swelling, but you will need to continue to practice good oral hygiene at home.
- If the infection progresses, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics to eradicate the infection and also to reduce inflammation.
- If medications and thorough cleaning aren't enough, your doctor will recommend that you undergo a surgical procedure to clean your teeth near the root, helping to regenerate bone and connective tissue.
Step 4. Learn about caries
Tooth decay is caused by infections that can cause permanent damage to the hard surfaces of the teeth. If you often snack or drink sugary sodas and don't brush your teeth, bacteria in your mouth can increase your risk of tooth decay. This is one of the major health problems around the world, affecting people of all ages.
Step 5. Treat tooth decay
You can't cure the inflammation and the discomfort that comes with it until you address the underlying problem. The dentist inserts fillings of composite resin of the same color as the teeth, ceramic or even silver amalgam into the dental holes.
- Silver amalgam contains mercury, but is considered safe by experts. However, if you are allergic to any component of the filling (silver, tin, copper or mercury), you may develop some lesions in your mouth. Tell your doctor if you have any allergies.
- If the tooth decay is in an advanced stage, a crown may need to be applied. It is a bespoke and personalized capsule that is applied over the tooth. Sometimes it may be necessary to treat the root canal to repair or save a damaged or infected tooth and avoid extraction.
- When the tooth is too damaged, it is necessary to remove it. In this case, it will then be necessary to put a bridge or a replacement tooth to prevent the others from moving over time.
Step 6. Take care of your teeth by putting on braces
It is a device that is applied by dentists to straighten or correct the alignment of the dental arches. The devices are composed of many elements and can aggravate the discomfort in the mouth up to trigger the formation of canker sores. To treat them, rinse with salt water several times a day to reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process. Furthermore, you should also:
- Eating soft foods to decrease the irritation of the tissues of the oral cavity,
- Avoid spicy foods, alcohol, mouthwashes, and hard-edged foods, such as potato chips and crackers;
- Prepare a paste of baking soda and water to apply on the canker sores.
Part 4 of 5: Using Natural Remedies
Step 1. Drink water
Good hydration can help with your inflammatory situation, especially canker sores, as well as relieve discomfort and fight infection. You can also use a salt water solution to reduce pain and speed up the healing process.
To rinse with salt water, pour a generous amount of salt into 250ml of water and mix to blend the substances. Put some of this solution in your mouth and move it around your mouth, focusing especially on the most painful areas. After about a minute, spit out the liquid and repeat the procedure with the remaining one
Step 2. Apply aloe vera
This plant has healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Contains saponins, chemicals that act as antibacterial agents. Aloe is also known for its ability to relieve pain in inflamed areas. To use it:
- Take a leaf of the plant and cut it to open it. Then apply the gel that comes out directly on the most inflamed areas. You can repeat the procedure three times a day for best results.
- You can also get an aloe vera gel specifically formulated for use in the mouth. Again, apply it directly to the inflamed areas. Repeat the treatment three times a day for better effects.
- Do not ingest the gel if possible.
Step 3. Suck on an ice cube
Cold water and ice help soothe pain and reduce inflammation. The concept is the same as applying an ice pack to the sore knee: low temperatures reduce the amount of blood in the injured area, thereby controlling swelling and pain. To apply ice to the inflamed mouth you can:
- Suck on an ice cube, popsicle, or sorbet
- Drink and gargle with small sips of cold water;
- Place ice cubes in a plastic bag and place it on the inflamed area.
Step 4. Use tea tree
Tea tree oil has natural antiseptic properties and helps kill bacteria, as well as keeping infection under control and facilitating the healing process. It is particularly effective for treating inflammation caused by gingivitis and periodontitis. One of the most common ways to take advantage of its properties is to use it as a mouthwash.
To make it, add 10 drops of oil to 80ml of water. Rinse your entire mouth for 30 seconds and then spit out the mixture. Do not ingest it. Finally, rinse your mouth with clean water
Part 5 of 5: Preventing Future Mouth Ulcers
Step 1. Prevent new herpetic formations
Cold sores need arginine to develop. It is an amino acid found in certain foods, such as nuts, chocolate, sesame seeds, and soy. If you want to prevent new lesions from forming, you shouldn't eat these foods. Instead, choose foods that contain lysine, another amino acid that can fight the effect of arginine on cold sores. Foods rich in this element are red meat, pork, poultry, cheeses, eggs and brewer's yeast. Pay attention to the amount of lysine and arginine you take to reduce herpetic outbreaks in the future.
You can also take lysine supplements every day if you wish. The correct dosage depends on a number of different factors, so you need to discuss this with your doctor
Step 2. Inhibit yeast infections
You can prevent them from developing by brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing every day, reducing or eliminating the use of mouthwashes, and not sharing cutlery to avoid contagion. If you have diabetes or wear dentures, you need to take extra precautions regarding oral hygiene, as both of these factors can trigger a yeast infection.
Limit the amount of sugar or foods that contain yeast. Yeasts need sugar to multiply and grow. Among the foods that contain them are bread, beer and wine, which can promote greater growth
Step 3. Seek medical attention
Sometimes mouth ulcers are more severe than a simple canker sores or cold sores. If they are persistent, they could also be a sign of some tumor, which is an uncontrollable growth of cells that invade other areas, damaging the surrounding tissues. Oral cancer can form on the tongue, lips, base of the mouth, cheeks, and even on the soft or hard palate of the mouth. It can even become a life-threatening disease if not diagnosed or treated properly.
- Look for lumps or thickening of the mouth tissue, lesions that do not heal, white or reddish patches, pain in the tongue, loose teeth, difficulty chewing, pain in the jaw, sore throat, and a foreign body sensation stuck in the throat.
- Prompt medical intervention is required to manage inflammation from these diseases. The therapeutic protocol can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
