What To Know About Canker Sores And Cold Sores
Two oral health problems that you may experience at some point are canker sores and cold sores. Here is what you should know about both of these sores in case one forms.
Canker Sores
A canker sore is also known as a mouth ulcer, and while they are small, they can feel super painful. They tend to form due to some sort of trauma in your mouth, such as accidentally biting your lip or having braces agitate the soft tissue inside your mouth. However, they can also form due to food sensitivity or stress. Once they form, they are going to swell up, and can even make it more likely for you to accidentally bite that area of your mouth again.
One of the first things that you are going to notice about a canker sore is that it is painful, with it often feeling like it is burning. There will be a white small circle with a bright pink or red edge around it. They are typically found on their own inside the mouth, and they are not contagious to other people.
Canker sores can be treated at home by using a gel with Benzocaine to help numb the area and not make it feel so painful. Your dentist can also treat a canker sore if they have the equipment, which involves using a laser to sterilize the area and speed up the cell regeneration process.
Cold Sores
Cold sores are a bit different, with them commonly being referred to as fever blisters. These are caused by a virus in your body that flares up. They are typically found outside of your mouth where they are visible to others. It is a form of HSV1, otherwise known as the herpes simplex virus. The bad thing about cold sores is that they are contagious to others, and they can be spread through things like sharing food, drinking from the same straw, and kissing.
While cold sores are contagious, know that it is most contagious when it reaches the point where it is visible on your lips. The virus can also flare up at any time, with nothing that you did particularly motivating the cold sore to appear.
While there are creams that you can put on cold sores to help them go away, a dentist can also treat a cold sore with a laser therapy treatment. It only takes a few minutes, and it can help relieve any pain and discomfort you are experiencing.
For more information, contact a local dentist.
