Stress Related Mouth Conditions

Aaah summer! Beautiful weather, sunshine, water, vacation…time to relax and reduce your stress! You know how bad the stress is for your health and this is how it may affect your mouth with these unwanted and painful conditions:

Canker sores – or aphthae

They are generally round in shape and form in the soft areas of the mouth such as the inside of the lips, the cheeks or underside of the tongue. They can occur in single ulcers or in clusters.

Canker sores are recurrent so they may occur anytime in your life, and each episode lasts about 7 – 10 days. They are quite common – affecting around one in five people.

Important to know:

They are not contagious and are benign. Their cause is unclear and there is no cure but treatment options are available for pain the ulcers cause.

Possible triggers of aphthous ulcers :

Stress

Minor injuries inside the mouth – from burns, hard brushing or …yes, dental work!

Allergies

Sodium lauryl sulfate – an active ingredient in some toothpastes and mouthwashes

Certain foods and drinks, like coffee, chocolate, acidic or spicy foods

Deficiency of certain vitamins including Zinc, B12, foliate and iron.

What can you do to help the pain if you already have aphthae ulcers:

1. Rinse the mouth with salt water

2. Rinse the mouth with solution of baking soda

3. Apply teething gel to the affected area

4. Apply milk of magnesia to the area

5. Succing ice chips or cubes
    

There is also another type of aphthae – major ulcer, less common and larger 5mm or more. They last between 2 weeks and couple of months even and are more painful.