Mouth sores Health Article

Prevention

You can reduce your chance of getting common mouth sores by:

• Reducing stress and practicing relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation
• Avoiding very hot foods or beverages

You can avoid mechanical irritation by:

• Visiting your dentist right away if you have a sharp or broken tooth or misfitting dentures
• Chewing slowly
• Using a soft-bristle toothbrush

If you seem to get canker sores often, talk to your doctor about taking folate and vitamin B12 to prevent outbreaks.

If you get cold sores often, taking L-lysine tablets or increasing lysine in your diet (found in fish, chicken, eggs, and potatoes) may reduce outbreaks. DO NOT use L-lysine if you have high cholesterol, heart disease, or high triglycerides.

To prevent the spread of herpes sores, do not kiss or have oral sex with someone with a cold sore or fever blister. Do not participate in these activities when you have an active cold sore. Do not share razors, lip balm, toothbrushes, or lipsticks.

To prevent cancerous mouth lesions:

• Do not smoke or use tobacco.
• Limit alcohol to 2 drinks per day.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade your lips. Wear a lip balm with SPF 15 at all times.

References

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 5th ed. London, UK: Churchill Livingstone, Inc; 2000.

Yeung-Yue KA. Herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2. Dermatol Clin. 2002; 20(2): 249-266.

MacDonald J. Canker sore remedies: baking soda. CMAJ. 2002; 166(7): 884.

Gonsalves WC, Chi AC, Neville BW. Common oral lesions: Part I. Superficial mucosal lesions. Am Fam Physician. 2007;75(4):501-7.